Nebulous in design Apr28 '07

Definition of nebulous: cloudy; indistinct.

I couldn't help but notice that the nebulous (whatever that is) is being used in design these days, and I'm not sure if it's a good or bad thing.

Take, for instance, Microsoft Silverlight.

Screenshot of Microsoft Silverlight logo

This blog post on Brand New refers to it as the "Blobby Ball of Nebulousness™," and says:

... this new identity excels as a nebulous-abstract-who-cares-what-it-is piece of eye candy ...

Adobe's new packaging for it's impressive line of CS3 applications also contains elements of "nebulous activity":

Screenshot of Adobe CS3 packaging

Here's the design of the full lineup of packaging.

I'm not sure if I like this trend, but someone still should come up with a Photoshop tutorial on creating the "nebulous effect," since it seems popular these days.

Categories: Design , Trends

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matthom is published and produced by Matt Thommes - an independent publishing enthusiast, mobile blogger, content creator, informative writer, web developer from a suburb of Chicago. Never one to conform, Matt intends to promote the effect the web has on our lives, in an effort to intensify, instruct, and clarify all that is happening around us.