That’s why we’ve put together a brief list of some of our favorite websites for downloading free, high-quality textures and gradients that work beautifully with flat design 2.0. While you can spend time building out your own textures, gradients, and patterns for your projects, we thought we’d make it a little easier for you.

When done minimally, layering not only adds a sense of depth to your design, but it can also help you convey the unique personality of your client’s brand, and breath more life into your overall web design. This “flat, but not entirely flat” style is accomplished by adding layers or 3D styling to your flat background images, using gradients, patterns, or textures. Ī major focus of flat design 2.0, is to improve the user experience through the inclusion of contextual signifiers - which many designers have attained by re-introducing the subtle usage of three-dimensionality in their websites to create depth, and increase the saliency of flat focal elements.

This minimalist approach to user interface design rose in popularity because it gave designers the ability to reduce distractions for users, and focus their attention on the most important aspects of design.īut as we move deeper into 2016, we’re beginning to see an evolution in flat design that takes the style beyond simple color palettes and raised elements, towards something the industry has dubbed flat design 2.0. Over the past few years, websites have been dominated by flat design.

Patterned website wallpaper