15+ innovative flat design websites

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I first took notice of flat color web design when Google started to redesign their sites. This was during a time when gradients and drop shadows were all the rage. In using what was then Google Docs and my Google Calendar, I always realized there was something better and more user friendly about these sites but I never could put my finger on what it was. I just continued to enjoy and use the services as needed.<\/p>\r\n

Eventually, I think I was just messing around with the apps when I finally noticed the buttons had no gradients and the icons didn’t either. There were no drop shadows and really nothing but flat colors and lines to separate the content. I loved it and I took to Twitter to share my findings.<\/p>\r\n

Quickly, I was met with a few people who just didn’t like it. They didn’t understand it, said it was completely boring and said it would never catch on. Thank goodness they were wrong.<\/p>\r\n

Of course Google isn’t the first brand to use flat color in their designs. But of major importance is how they used it, not just why they used it. It created a fresh user interface. There were little to no distractions and the aesthetics were still there. It felt like common sense when it was done, but beforehand, we loved our buttons and color schemes with gradients and shadows and textures and so much more.<\/p>\r\n

This flat color web design is a trend right now not just because it looks good but because it makes sense. It promotes a clean user interface that’s easy to use and understand. Today, we’ll be looking at a couple of web sites that utilize this principle of flat color design. Let’s jump right in.<\/p>\r\n

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Microsoft Windows<\/h1>\r\n

Microsoft has always had their issues with being a bit behind the times, especially with a competitor like Apple. Windows 8 is the development many people attribute the success of flat design to. It seems as if Microsoft got hip to what people really wanted and how they really worked and came up with the user interface design they currently have. If they didn’t get anything else right, Microsoft definitely got the design right.<\/p>\r\n

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Wistia<\/h1>\r\n

Wistia is professional video hosting that specializes in hosting for businesses. It’s a nice for those of us who want a different look than a YouTube embedded player and also desire the ability to use Flash and\/or HTML5 to view video. They’ve taken flat design to new heights by using it entirely in their web design alongside some really good illustrations.<\/p>\r\n