“Flat design” was developed as a response to the once-dominant design school of skeuomorphism, which attempted to recreate real world objects in iconic form. For instance: a skeuomorphic “On” button on a website might look like a real world light switch.
For a variety of reasons, tastes have changed. Today, more and more users (and designers) want cleaner, more functional interfaces. Enter the “flat design” aesthetic. The gist of flat design is that usability is king. According to this philosophy, graphical user interfaces (GUI) shouldn’t be too stylized. Shadows, reflections, gradients, edges, and other baroque elements can make designs feel claustrophobic and impede usability.
Rather than create realistic imitations of objects, like clocks or calendars, flat design uses simple block-like images. The goal is to grab the user’s attention and guide him or her through a process. Solid, big blocks of color can convey messages more effectively than ornaments.
Why Your Flat Design Should Be Responsive
If you opt for a flat WordPress theme, make sure it’s responsive. What does “responsive” mean? It means that you develop your site in a way that lets it break down or “respond” to whatever device, tablet, or computer accesses it. The site “responds” by automatically resizing, shifting the layout, and customizing the experience for the user. In this way, your site’s load time, readability, and navigation are optimized.
Without a responsive design, things can get problematic. For instance, a developer might need to integrate multiple themes. Or you might have to leave it to the user to resize and reformat your site — not ideal, especially if you’re running a client-oriented business or studio.
The key to choosing the right flat theme is to understand your purpose first. As Stephen Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, sagely advises: “begin with the end in mind.”
Let’s explore 10 gorgeous flat (and responsive WordPress) themes:
Coffee & Cream
Ideal for portfolios, websites, vCards, and blogs, this theme comes jam-packed with cool features, including shortcodes and premium widgets. Great for one page sites.
Persona Theme
Do you need unlimited sidebars? Excited about frontend publishing? This responsive theme is excellent for small businesses as well as for bloggers who sell info products.
Flatsome
The future of beautiful e-commerce is here, and its name is Flatsome. Excellent for online shopkeepers.
Avalance
Are you looking for a portfolio website theme? If you’re a creative artist (or an agency that represents clients), choose this gorgeous template to display creative works.
Mobilee WordPress Premium Responsive GSM Mobile Theme
Are you an app designer, or are you in the app business? This fully responsive theme supports both Google Play and the App Store.
Hypertext – One-page Flat WordPress Theme
If you run an agency or corporate studio — or if you’re building a portfolio for your art — this popular, dynamic theme is flush with useful functions. Simple to use and easy to build.
Cuber – Modern Responsive Minimal WordPress Theme
Another great, refreshing and interactive option for small businesses.
Extra News – Responsive News and Magazine Theme
Whether you’re a content strategist, or you’re hoping to launch the next “Upworthy,” this theme is tailor-made for publishers. Seamlessly integrate slideshows, galleries, reviews, and videos.
Felice WordPress Theme – 2 in 1
This flexible, beautiful theme can work either as a personal portfolio or as a corporate website. It’s fully responsive, and it provides 2 in 1 theme functionality, so you can create a single landing page, a one-page portfolio, or a more sophisticated site.
Benthos Flat eCommerce WordPress Theme
Gorgeous typography can lead to more sales and more business. This is a sound option, if you need a diverse color scheme or you want to use iThemes Exchange.
About the author
Kyle Sanders is an eCommerce entrepreneur, design junkie, and co-founder of CWR, a digital marketing refinery that specializes in website optimization, link building, and content marketing. Outside of the office he enjoys kayaking, craft beer, and local music in Austin, TX.
