Usability Across Generations
Comparing skeuomorphic, flat, and neubrutalist UI styles.
For a quantitative research project, we explored how people of different ages respond to three UI styles: skeuomorphism, flat design, and neubrutalism.
We wanted to know which style people found more visually appealing, and which one helped them understand the interface faster.
The results showed a clear split in taste. Younger participants, born after 1980, preferred the simpler look of flat design. Older participants did not show a strong preference for one style.
For actual use, the visual style mattered less than we expected. Age itself made the bigger difference: younger users identified icons faster and with more accuracy.
The project made the usual 'modern design is better' assumption feel too simple. Taste shifted by generation, but clear icon meaning still mattered across the whole study.
