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Make UI shadows realistic

 2 years ago
source link: https://uxplanet.org/make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa
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The 2nd Usability Heuristic

Make UI shadows realistic

An interface that follows real-world harmony and natural order allows users to understand and react to interfaces in a logical and obvious way.

My first attempt to write on Medium with the same concept as this article had the best stats to date:

As a starting point, let’s examine the physics law of light:

This image shows how the shadow of an object with a point source of light will appear as a solid called an umbra.

1*Y5SKw-MKUvzGbooqmizoCg.png?q=20
make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa

Generally, there isn’t a point light source, so we perceive objects using light sources similar to those in the image. Thus, we see a penumbra.

1*7E1UYIpkwhKBHKx8thYkkg.png?q=20
make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa

With a change in distance between surface and object, shadows and penumbras will change.

1*wvEd_d2H-bKYy6WFrb97Gw.png?q=20
make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa

How close an element is to the user determines its importance in user interface design. Therefore, the penumbra can create a visual hierarchy.

1*HsF4qmtQrNpThPaz3Gp4xA.png?q=20
make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa

Figma’s blur option can be used to create this illusion for UI elements.

By default, X and Y are set to simulate holding a phone or sitting in front of a computer, where the light source is usually above our heads.

We are not done yet. There is one more thing to consider.

1*46Zg09xUOL02h-K6FH39Ng.png?q=20
make-ui-shadows-realistic-f66ed05916aa

We usually have multiple light sources in the real world, which means an object will cast multiple shadows.

For this reason, I recommend using multiple shadows on the UI element. SmoothShadow is an excellent plugin in the Figma community that allows you to create multiple shadows.


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