Depth is an important and exciting principle in the world of design. Even with the flattest of mediums, you are able to create a sense of depth, and an illusion that your design expands beyond the second dimension.
So, how do we create an illusion of depth in our designs? There are many techniques you can use to communicate depth in your design, let’s run over a few.
First, we have what is probably the most commonly known technique – shadows. Now, shadows can be tricky little devils, as they aren’t always linearly shaped, sometimes they stretch, bend, warp and skew. So, a good technique when exploring shadow-usage is to observe real world shadows, see how the light hits various objects at different points and try to replicate that.
Let’s look at an example that showcases an effective use of shadows to create depth. This poster for a book fair by Dominique Schmitz uses a lot of shadows in a lot of different and challenging, but very realistic ways. Have a look at the way each shadow is rendered differently and appropriately for each element. Realism takes work, but the payoff is often worth it!
Another technique is overlapping certain elements. This reduces the flat appearance, and makes things seem more layered and on different levels and tiers. Check out this design by Fabian De Lange that overlaps illustrative elements, type and graphic elements (the white border) to create a layered look with plenty of depth.
Another technique is to play with perspective, which is a technique that often gives elements a “3D effect”. By adjusting the perspective of certain elements, you can give the illusion of raising them up off of the page, creating instant depth. Let’s look at an example.
This electronica-inspired poster by Neil Stevens skews each letter to the right a little bit and gives them distinct shape and depth. This simple way of illustrating, shading and adjusting the perspective of each element helps to create a dynamic and engaging design.
Of course, on the other end of the spectrum is reducing the amount of depth in your design. This is a popular style as of late, often referred to as ‘flat design’.
A well-known user of the flat design technique is Apple. In September 2013 Apple launched a new operating system that came jam-packed with a whole new design upheaval that basically took away all of the bevel effects and drop shadows that created the appearance of depth and replaced them with flatter app icons, screens, etc.