Crafting Subtle and Realistic User Interfaces

Mike Rundle has posted an excellent article about Crafting Subtle and Realistic User Interfaces:

The underlying secret to beautiful user interface design is realism: making 2D objects on your screen appear to sit in 3D space with volume, surface properties and undulations that might appear in real life. These faux 3D objects have highlights and shadows just like objects on your desk might have, and they have textures that emulate real objects from glass to sandpaper and everything in between. Designing beautiful user interfaces has more to do with the why than the how.

He goes into some detail about what he calls “Thinking in 3D” and how it can help you craft a compelling user interface. He also provides some downloadable Photoshop layer styles so you can see how he’s constructed his examples. Great read.

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