The UI Future Is Colourful and Dimensional

Summary

Flat design is over. The future is colourful and dimensional.Those aren’t my words. They’re Brian Chesky’s, CEO of Airbnb, after what can only be described as a landmark redesign of the platform. A redesign full of whimsical, animated, 3D icons and warm, tactile surfaces.It’s always hard to pinpoint when a paradigm shift happens. Usually, you only recognize it in hindsight. iOS 7 in 2013 was one. These past few weeks have felt like another. The pendulum is swinging again.Some of us worked toward this shift for years, so I’ll just say it:We’re so back.I told you so.But if we’re really entering a new era of visual design, we need better language for it.I’ve never liked the word skeuomorphism. A skeuomorph is when something digital borrows the concept of something physical—like a trash can icon that looks like a real bin, or a book app that flips pages like paper. But over time, skeuomorphic became a catch-all for any design with depth, texture, or lighting—and that’s a mistake. A bin icon, even as a flat glyph, is still a skeuomorph. It’s metaphor, not material.I’ve been looking for a better word.Something that captures the dimensionality we’re beginning to see.Lately, I’ve been using the word Diamorph.It’s not meant to be a grand rebrand of design. A completely invented word. A working title for a style that embraces depth, texture, and light. Not to mimic the real world, but to create something that feels native to the screen. Something expressive. Playful.Diamorph (adj.): dimensional design that embraces depth, light, texture, and hierarchy—native to the screen, expressive by intent.Diamorphism (n.): a growing tendency toward intentional dimensionality—layered, tactile, digital-first, and full of character.Maybe it sticks. Maybe it doesn’t. But it’s been helpful for me to give this shift a name while we figure out where it’s heading.If skeuomorphic design is performative, and flat design is reductive, maybe Diamorph is something else entirely—less about illusion, m...