Earlier quoted context omitted.
> This isn't some massive new UI paradigm ... Flat UI isn't some massive new UI paradigm? I thought that's exactly what it is. > ... it's effectively a theme! One of the major components of the success and pleasantness of iOS -- and Mac OS X before it -- has been platform consistency. Apple has made a study of this, and that's part of what users are buying when they buy Apple's products. Dismantling that consistency…
> Flat UI isn't some massive new UI paradigm? I thought that's exactly what it is. Then you were wrong. Flat UI is merely a graphic design choice. If affects the look and overall design of the user interface (flat colors, no drop shadows, remove frills, etc). Everything you otherwise know about the UI and how it works remains the same. Buttons are still buttons, text entry boxes behave as before, radio buttons still…
They might be, if I can figure out which flat rectangle out of the dozens presented to me is a button or a dropdown or whatever. Say what you will about minimalism and removing unnecessary ornaments, but it is NOT cool to remove visual cues for interaction.
At least the buttons here have shadows underneath that give some sense of depth. But at this rate, we'll be throwing decades worth of UX design out with the bathwater if designers blindly follow .