The Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) Working Group has published a Working Draft of CSS Transitions. This document introduces new CSS features to enable implicit transitions, which describe how CSS properties can be made to change smoothly from one value to another over a given duration. Learn more about the Style Activity.

Recently while perusing some of the discussions that are currently happening throughout the web design community, I happened across an active dialog going on in the comments of a Tuts+ article, All About Trends in Web Design. The write-up itself, plus the lively convo in the comment section got me to thinking about “flat design”, and the nature of trends in the community. Furthermore, it got me asking whether this technique was actually a trend ready to pass in the wake of our attentions turning elsewhere, or something more?

We all know the nature of trends in the industry, and unfortunately, that tends to equate to something of a short shelf life for any one particular technique. But what if “flat design” wasn’t just a trend, but in fact, a return to a cleaner, simpler aesthetic in the wake of minimalism’s popularity and an evoloving web? What if it is in fact, an retrograde evolution in the field’s tendency toward flatness? Reaching back to a time before designers so embraced the depth creating embellishments and accents that have ruled the field for years.

It was these questions that got me up and back onto the laptop to contemplate and consider this post. Because at its core, “flat design” is really about getting back to design basics whilst simultaneously pushing forward and allowing room for working within responsive frameworks. The Ultimate Guide to Flat Design is a great place to get more information about this style, but we will press on examining why this design route could just be the resetting of our compasses back to a focus on basics, functionality, and a simple aesthetic flexibility.

Pleasing aesthetics

One of design’s very foundations is the aesthetic qualities we can craft into a project to sell an idea, and start a virtual, highly visual conversation with those it interacts with. Flat design has a tight focus on aesthetics, that are easy on the eyes and welcoming as it presents its visual palette. This technique is clean and minimal with a focus on great typography, color schemes and simple icons. Quite the equation for delivering the pleasing aesthetics clients and users expect.

Given that this style plays so heavy on the softer aesthetic edge, it allows the design to effortlessly shift the focus from the design itself over to the content. Which is another must for design to work its magic correctly. It must exist as an impacting carrier, never stealing the attention away from the content it drives. It should compliment it. Flat design’s light touch does just that, as we show in the examples below.

Fitbit

Adam Rudzki

Mark Simonson

Easily made responsive

Another aspect of this technique where its simplicity really shines, is in how well its flat aesthetics translate so strongly on smaller screens (handhelds and mobile devices) without losing any of the impact they deliver. This is one way that it becomes so flexible. The focus on 2D environments and shying away from depth, help with the scaling down onto the screens that tend to hold the web for so many users these days. And one of the basics of design is that we remain flexible, so it is only fitting that our output for the clients would too.

While the tendency of flat design to focus on blocks of information as far as delivery styling makes it easy to rearrange the content on the page for responsive environments. And with a continuing push for responsiveness, scaled down visual presentations are certainly appealing. They meet a number of clients’ needs and wishes at the same time. Complimenting designer intent with client desire all in an easily responsive package. Just check out the sites we included below that prove the flexibility of this approach.

Made by FIBB

2013 XOXO Festival

January Creative

Fast load times

Another principle focus of web design is to present the design as quickly as possible. Especially in an ever-increasing mobile market where mobility (on the go browsing) tends to place a high value on fast delivery of the goods. Which means having a site that is as lightweight. Flat design easily meets this benchmark of success. Because of the focus on plain color fields for buttons and blocks, icons and simple imagery, the design stays light and the load times stay low.

As mentioned before, flat design also contains a lack of drop shadows, noticeable gradients, and other realistic dimensional effects, so the simpler environments overall render with a quickness. Generally, if you build it quicker, they will come faster and not bounce before the load completes because their attention span has shifted them onto other endeavors. A few examples await you that demonstrate the speed with which flat designs can bring it.

Triplagent

Inky

Daniele Petrarolo

Enhanced usability and functionality

Finally we come to the most basic of design rules, the design has to be functional, and user friendly. It should be easy to follow and be concise in presentation so as to not confuse or mislead the users. It is easy to see where some designers go astray, focusing too heavily on trying to recreate a 3D environment that they sacrifice fashion for function. Flat design’s clear, minimal layouts make it ideal for guiding the eye and helping users navigate the page with ease.

This allows for the focus of the website to shift to the needs of the user rather than the design of the site. Which is how we get to find the user-friendly route expected and needed to make more than an impression, but a conversion. Furthermore, the basic importance of content presentation is never lost in an arena that strives towards reducing unnecessary clutter on the screen. This is the perfect breeding ground for sites with enhanced usability and functionality as the examples below highlight.

Minimal Monkey

TheIssland

2012 Build Conference

To conclude

While it is true that even trends can alter the usual aesthetic output in the design field, an evolution that shifts us back into a purely basics approach for a cleaner new age of the web seems to be more what we are seeing with flat design.

I do not believe that this, like trends do, will become a flavor of the week kind of technique we are looking back on one day with fondness. Instead, I think it is going to be shaping things to come in the field for some time.

The Ultimate Christmas Vector Bundle – only $9.99!

When you hear “Victoria’s Secret,” what do you think?

For many the name conjures images of sublime, sultry, digitally enhanced femininity.

But what if the famous lingerie brand let a transgendered woman walk down its runways?

Instead of Heidi Klum and Angel,

You got RuPaul and Carmen Carrera?

Currently, there is an effort afoot to try to get Victoria’s Secret to hire a transgendered model. The LGBT community sees this as a big shift towards equality; opponents see this as a dangerous step for the brand image. A move like this, no matter how you see it, will seriously impact the future of company. Executives are therefore understandably wary about taking this step.

So, what do you think—is this the right direction to move in?  Or is this the wrong model for Victoria Secret?

Computer Science and Electrical Engineering
Quantum Computing Seminar

Four Quantum Algorithms

Samuel Lomonaco, CSEE, UMBC

2:30-3:00 Tuesday, 19 November 2013, ITE 325b

In this lecture, we discuss four quantum algorithms, i.e., Deutsch’s algorithm, Simon’s algorithm, Shor’s algorithm, and Grover’s algorithm. No prior knowledge of quantum mechanics will be assumed. These talks are based on four invited lectures (slides) given at Oxford University for the UMBC audience.

Samuel J. Lomonaco is a professor at the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering of the University of Maryland Baltimore County. He is internationally known for his many contributions in mathematics and in computer science. His research interests span a wide range of subjects from knot theory, algebraic and differential topology to algebraic coding theory, quantum computation, and symbolic computation. In quantum cryptography, he has shown how quantum information theory can be used to gain a better understanding of eavesdropping with quantum entanglement. In quantum computation, he has shown how Lie groups can be used to solve problems arising in the study of quantum entanglement. In 2000 Professor Lomonoco organized the first American Mathematical Society short course on quantum computation.

Organizer: Prof. Samuel Lomonaco, Sorry, you need javascript to view this email address.

Homelessness.

It’s something we tend to look past. Naturally we want to see less of it, but it’s an issue with no easy fix. It’s fair to say it makes us uncomfortable.

Baltimore is trying to come to terms with the problem. But, perhaps, not in the right way.

The city is considering stricter limits on panhandling, following a national trend that has emerged over the past few years. Some say it would make Baltimore more attractive and safe. Others are outraged.

The ban originally planned to prohibit begging in all of downtown. It has been scaled back to ban begging within ten feet of businesses and five feet of parking meters. 

“There ought to be a distance, a safe distance before they can approach,” said Councilmember Rikki Spector, proposer of the bill.

The New York Times ran an article about the nationwide reaction from the homeless and advocacy groups. Steve Ray Evans, a homeless man from Salt Lake City, said:

“I do it for survival purposes. I feel as though a lot of other individuals depend on it, too.”

Heather Maria Johnson, a lawyer for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, expressed her opinion on such laws: 

“Rather than addressing the issue of homelessness, they are adapting measures that move homeless people out of downtowns, tourist areas or even out of a city.”

Is this a necessary step for Baltimore and other cities? Or just a way to criminalize homelessness? 

A researcher envisions the ultimate cure for “range anxiety”: roadway-powered vehicles with modified on-board power receivers.

One way to extend the range of electric vehicles may be to provide power wirelessly through coils placed under the surface of a road. But charging moving vehicles with high-power wireless chargers below them is complex.

Unfortunately we were mistaken… 

Remember our post about the Panera CEO who couldn’t afford a sandwich? He was protesting a bill that would cut around $40 billion dollars in benefits from food stamps? Remember how we said it probably wouldn’t pass?

Well… the first round of cuts from that bill went into effect on Nov 1st. (But hey, to be fair it’s not the EXACT same bill, there’s probably be some fresh pork barrel spending that’s been tacked on since we last took a look.)  

With 5 billion dollars in cuts affecting almost 48 million Americans, a family of four will be taking about a $36 dollar a month reduction in benefits. 

If you have a chance, hop over and take a look as Statelines’ interactive map detailing the effects of the cut on a state-by-state basis.

Here’s the data on Maryland:

Projected SNAP recipients in the Fiscal Year 2014:            774,000 

Percent of the Population:                                                            13%

Average Benefit per Household in Fiscal Year 2012:          $255

Total SNAP Benefit Cut to State:                                                $82,000,000

Children Affected:                                                                           301,000

Elderly or People With Disabilities Affected:                           147,000