in the beginning, there was nothing.
and then there was light. information. craft.
and then came dark patterns. infinite scrolls. spectacle.
no more.
this manifesto is a call to arms.
for designers, developers, and users who believe in a better web.
to strip away the unnecessary, leaving only what matters.
a return to flat design is not regression.
it is evolution.
i. flat beauty
abolish shadows.
eradicate gradients.
embrace the purity of solid colors and clean lines.
depth is deception.
flat means true.
ii. fill screen
every pixel matters.
use space with purpose and precision.
no dead zones. no wasted potential.
the screen is your canvas.
iii. don't scroll
scrolling is submission to poor design.
scrolling is action with no intent.
nothing should lurk outside the viewport.
navigate, don't excavate.
iv. simple as
minimize clicks.
maximize efficiency.
every interaction should be intuitive, every path clear.
complexity is weakness.
simplicity is power.
v. no spill
content must be contained, controlled, curated.
no more bottomless, shapeless, tasteless data dumps.
no more splash spills of slop.
know where to cut.
vi. function first
beauty lies in utility.
design should serve the user, not computers, not advertisers, not somebody else's ego.
if your website is for no one, don't make it.
if you're not proud of it, don't make it.
give what you want to have.
vii. draw grids
the grid is our foundation.
the grid grows and shrinks, groups and separates.
the grid creates relations, and is in itself a relation to users.
structure is salvation.
viii. go fast
every second of load time is stolen from the user.
every second of dev time should be spent with intent.
flat design is fast design.
optimize relentlessly.
ix. stay accessible
accessibility is not a luxury but a necessity.
information has no shape, no limits, no conditions.
yes, it's your website fault if it can't get through.
design for all, no exceptions.
x. resist trends
stand firm against fads.
restless compasses lead nowhere.
perfection is achieved when there's nothing to remove.
fight bloat, never think short term.
build to last.
here are the rules of golden design.
here are our 10 golden commandments.
stop the spill.
claim back the screen.
claim back beauty.