Scott mccloud. Scott mccloud podcast. Scott mccloud npr. Scott McCloud | Journal. Video. Realism in UI Design. The history of the visual design of user interfaces can be described as a gradual change towards more realism. As computers have become faster, designers have added increasingly realistic details such as color, 3D effects, shadows, translucency, and even simple physics. Some of these changes have helped usability. Shadows behind windows help us see which window is active. The physicality of the iPhone’s user interface makes the device more natural to use. In other areas, the improvements are questionable at best. Details and realism can distract from these concepts. The image on the left is a face of a specific person. At the same time, it’s obvious that some details are required. The circle on the left clearly shows a face. Let’s look at a symbol we actually see in user interfaces, the home button.
The thing on the left is a house. The thing on the left is a home button. Let me explain this concept using an entirely unscientific graph: The button on the left is too realistic.