I suppose the idea behind gradients is that they mimic the sky and hence have a soothing effect, or something like that?
How accepted are gradients among designers?
Asking because I am starting to hate some aspects of modern web design. Today I had this thought that maybe I just don't like it if a web site design lies to me. That is, a web site is a flat thing, it shouldn't pretend to be 3d with fake shadows and stuff like that.
I see the need for making buttons clickable ("afford pushing " was the term one design book used, I think).
In graphic design, gradients are generally frowned upon, primarily because they tend to be excessive and distract from the meaning of the images. In web design, there are legitimate uses for subtle gradients to add a subtle 3D effect. As with anything else, trends come and go; right now, subtle gradients and 1px highlights are in; take a look at the iPhone UI for inspiration.
A computer screen is like a perfectly precise lightbox.
Gradients are tacky in print because they were expensive to execute on paper. ("Tacky" here used to mean counter to the Modernist dogma of purity, precision, truth, and generally "going with the grain" of a medium that dominated a large part of the late 20th century. YMMV.)
On a screen, gradients are not only beautiful, but useful in creating the perky faux-physics that have come to dominate almost all of consumer UI design. Part of this may be rooted in the measurable "effectiveness" of illusionistic UIs, but I have the sense that it's also about wanting desktop computers to be a cute little robots.
"On a screen, gradients are not only beautiful, but useful in creating the perky faux-physics that have come to dominate almost all of consumer UI design."
Gradients are occasionally beautiful, when subtle, but the sooner the whole "perky faux-physics" dies (especially the tiresome "everything has a glass bubble" look) the better.
How accepted are gradients among designers?
Asking because I am starting to hate some aspects of modern web design. Today I had this thought that maybe I just don't like it if a web site design lies to me. That is, a web site is a flat thing, it shouldn't pretend to be 3d with fake shadows and stuff like that.
I see the need for making buttons clickable ("afford pushing " was the term one design book used, I think).