I need juicier interfaces

Flat design is easier to make, but I feel like we're all malnourished from lack of lighting and ornamentation. I juiced up my site with more color, and even more fun lighting effects.

Anyway, this is all to say that one random little piece of my website’s UI, the gradient faded card, has inspired me to add even more “juice”. I worked hard on lighting approach that looks classy and functional. Lighting subtly draws your attention to where it needs to go, without needing big ugly bordered boxes everywhere. Despite all the squares, I think the gradients and partial borders keep it looking slick.

This image shows how the “lighting” (a gradient background on the logo) casts its light onto the edges of the navigation

I wanted to include a few video game UIs I’ve looked at recently with some good “juice” to them.

Strictly speaking the UI looks dry and dusty, but this is a kind of stone and parchment juice that gives Oblivion a lovely old timey feel.

The mouse cursor emits a small light source that is lightly reflected by the UI elements… an incredible addition to this juicy UI.

Destiny is actually pretty modern with its flat squares design, but even then we have little bits of juice, like ornamental textures, and gold borders that appear to be glowing. Perhaps subconsciously I was thinking of these boxes when I designed my cards…