What is Neumorphism in UI Design? And how to use it?

In the design field, UI/UX designs are most of the trendy ones. Entrepreneurs and businesses rush to build captivating websites. Actually websites are digital houses of companies or individuals. As people wish to decorate their houses beautifully and diligently for coming guests, the same is the case with digital hubs means websites. Hence to decorate that hub, the real heroes, “UI designers” come. They design user interface of websites with the creativity of mind and hands-on skills. Now, there is a wonderful concept “Neumorphism” in UI design. In this guide, we will try to grasp its core concept and understand trends of eumorphism in UI design. Furthermore, we will cover, how to use neumorphism in UI design. Let’s deep diver into this terminology.

What is Neumorphism?

Neumorphism or "Soft UI" or "New Skeuomorphism" is a new UI trend that blends flat design with skeuomorphism to create a soft, futuristic look with 3D effects.

It uses:

✅ Soft shadows & highlights to create the illusion of objects being raised or recessed
✅ Dull, pale color palettes instead of contrast-heavy palettes
✅ Geometric shapes simplified for a sharp, modern feel

Think of buttons that seem to jut out from the background or text areas that look like they are pushed into the screen—that's Neumorphism in action!

Concepts can be better understood by examples. Let’s take a few examples to get aware of neumorphism in UI design.

Imagine a contemporary light switch that merges with the wall. When you click it, it goes down slightly, and when you release it, it returns to normal. Neumorphism in UI follows the same pattern. Buttons appear as though they belong to the background, a bit embossed or pressed when you touch them.

Let’s quote another example of Ice Cube in Soft Clay. If you put pressure on an ice cube pressed into soft clay, it imprints a rounded, smooth indentation. Neumorphic UI controls resemble them as not entirely flat or too real, but lightly sunk into the background. What this does is make the design look contemporary, clean, and simple to work with.

A Brief History: How Neumorphism Was Born

Neumorphism is not new in itself. It descended from two of the biggest design movements that shaped digital interfaces throughout history.

1. Skeuomorphism (1990s – Early 2010s): Making Digital Feel Real

During the early days of personal computing, users were not familiar with digital interfaces. To provide technology with a more natural touch, Apple and Microsoft designed interfaces that were modeled after real-world objects.By 2013, as humans became more used to digital environments, this style started to look dated.

2. Flat Design (2013 – Present): Minimalism Takes Over

Google and Apple abandoned skeuomorphism for Flat Design, a minimalist, contemporary style that focused on.

✅ Bold colors
✅ Simple typography
✅ 2D elements with no shadows or gradients

3. The Rise of Neumorphism (2019 – Present): A Middle Ground

Designers longed for a middle ground between the minimalism of Flat Design and the depth of Skeuomorphism and then “Neumorphism” was born.

Neumorphism reinstated highlights and shadows to create a soft, floating aesthetic, without sacrificing minimalistic designs.

Key Features of Neumorphism in UI Design

To create its characteristic soft, futuristic look, Neumorphism follows five fundamental rules.

1. Monochromatic or Muted Colour Palettes

Pastels, pale greys, and neutral tones create a muted, mixed visual effect.

2. Delicate Shadows & Highlights

One light and one dark shadow are employed to provide a 3D look.

3. Basic Geometric Shapes

Squares, rectangles, and circles maintain simplicity and cleanliness.

4. Background Blending

UI elements get blended with the background rather than being discrete.

5. Low Contrast

Subtle, soft gradients instead of heavy colors for a smooth, sophisticated look.

Best Tools for Creating Neumorphic UI

If you’re ready to experiment with Neumorphism, here are the best tools to bring your designs to life.

1. Figma

✅ Easy-to-use design interface
✅ Plugins like Neumorphism Generator for quick styling

2. Adobe XD

✅ Advanced prototyping features
✅ Smooth integration with Photoshop & Illustrator

3. Sketch

✅ Best for macOS users
✅ Intuitive UI for Neumorphic design experiments

4. CSS & SCSS (For Developers)

✅ Supports custom-built Neumorphic UI effects
✅ Ideal for crafting interactive, responsive Neumorphic components

How to use Neumorphism in UI design - A Guide

Let’s uncover some strategies for how to use neumorphism in UI design.

• Subtle Shadow and Highlight - Employ soft, diffused shadows and highlights to create the extruded, "pressed" effect, avoiding harsh contrasts.

• Low Contrast Color Palettes - Use closely related color shades for a cohesive, gentle visual appearance, but ensure sufficient contrast for readability.

• Soft, Rounded Corners - Round corners on elements enhance the soft, tactile feel characteristic of Neumorphism.

• Layered Depth - Utilize varying shadow intensities and element sizes to create a sense of layered depth and hierarchy.

• Prioritize Accessibility - Always test designs for accessibility, ensuring adequate contrast and clear visual cues.
  
  

Pros and Cons of Neumorphism in UI Design

You are looking for proficient UI design services. Not a big deal, we master them. Whether you want a Neumorphic UI, a bold Flat Design, or an interactive experience, we at Tangent Technologies create them all. We have worked with multiple international clients. Our portfolio says it all.

What do we offer?

• Expert UI/UX designers with trend-driven expertise

• Scalable, accessible, and custom solutions

• Designs crafted to fit your brand’s identity

Let’s design for the mind, not just for the eyes.
Contact Tangent Technologies today.

Conclusion

Neumorphism is a beautiful-looking UI trend that brings the minimalism of flat design and the richness of skeuomorphism together. However, it is not for every project. It needs balance to stay functional, accessible, and usable. 

If you decide to use Neumorphism in UI design.

✔️ Apply it on individual UI elements like buttons, sliders, and cards
✔️ Use soft shadows, dull colors, and rounded corners
✔️ Test for accessibility to avoid usability issues

This guide extensively covers the basic idea of neumorphism and ways for how to use neumorphism in UI design.  Neumorphism is a powerful tool if used correctly by designers. It's all a game of creativity and well-refined ideas. Design with art and lead with passion.

FAQ’s

1. What is Neumorphism in UI design?

Neumorphism is a UI design trend that combines flat design and 3D depth, with a soft, futuristic look that has subtle highlights and shadows.

2. Is Neumorphism good for accessibility?

Not necessarily. Low contrast can make buttons invisible. To improve accessibility:

• Increase contrast where necessary

• Mix Neumorphism with a flat design for better usability
  
  

3. Where do we can use Neumorphism?

Neumorphism is ideally used in:

• Basic mobile apps

• Design & luxury brands

• Design UI portfolios
  
  

4. How does Neumorphism differ from Skeuomorphism?

Primarily, there are 2 key differences between both of them.

• Skeuomorphism mimics real-world textures and details.

• Neumorphism creates soft, futuristic elements with subtle 3D effects.