Toward Understanding the Findability and Discoverability of Shading Gradients in Almost-Flat Design

Prior usability studies have suggested that a raised appearance from shading gradients may improve the findability and discoverability of objects in a graphical user interface. The present research investigates this claim in the context of almost-flat design. A traditional visual search paradigm was implemented to examine the rate at which shading gradients are processed in the context of almost-flat design, and perceived depth ratings were collected to examine the magnitude and direction of depth emergent from simple shaded objects. Results indicated shading gradients were highly salient and processed preattentively amidst flat distractors, but if overused, they could be a considerable distraction when searching for a flat object. Perceived depth results confirmed that an emergent sense of depth differentiated shaded objects from flat objects during deliberate processing. These findings advocate the use of almost-flat design, but they also raise the need for further research and the development of design guidelines for the use of shading gradients.