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Design language facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Not to be confused with Visual programming language, Architecture description language, or Modeling language.

A design language is like a special style guide. It helps designers create a group of products or buildings that all look like they belong together. Think of it as a secret recipe for a consistent look and feel across many different items.

What is a Design Language?

Designers use a design language to make sure their products have a unique but consistent appearance. This guide helps them choose things like:

  • What materials to use
  • What colors work best
  • What shapes to include
  • What patterns or textures to add
  • How to arrange everything (layouts)

Sometimes, designers follow these rules very strictly. This makes their products have a strong, recognizable style. For example, in a chess set, all the pieces usually share a similar look, even if the set is very unusual.

Why Do Designers Use Design Languages?

The main goal is to create a clear design system. This system makes products easy to recognize and understand. It also helps customers know what to expect from a brand. Imagine if every new phone from your favorite company looked completely different! A design language brings order and familiarity.

Design Languages in Products (Industrial Design)

Industrial design is all about creating products for mass production, like cars, phones, or furniture. A strong design language helps a company's products stand out from others. It gives them a signature style.

Famous Examples in Car Design

In automotive design, a car's design language often includes a special grille or headlight shape.

  • Many BMW cars, for instance, share a design language. They often have a split "kidney grille" and four round headlights at the front.
  • Cadillac introduced its "Art and Science" style in 2000. This look featured sharp, crisp edges, almost like geometric shapes.
  • Ford used the "New Edge" design in the 1990s. This style combined curved lines to make cars look smooth and aerodynamic. Later, Ford used "Kinetic Design," which often had a large, trapezoidal grille.
  • Mazda has used styles like "Nagare," which had flowing lines inspired by wind. Later, they moved to the "Kodo" design language.
  • Other car brands also have their own styles, like Mitsubishi with "Dynamic Shield" and Subaru with "Dynamic x Solid."

Other Cool Product Design Examples

  • In the 1980s, "Memphis design" became very popular. It was known for bright colors and bold geometric shapes.
  • Apple used the "Snow White design" for its computers in the 1980s. This design used parallel stripes to make the computer cases look smaller. Today, the Apple Industrial Design Group creates the look for all Apple products.

Design Languages in Software and Apps

Design languages are also super important for graphical user interfaces (GUIs). These are the screens and buttons you see when you use apps or websites. Human interface guidelines are like design languages for software. They tell developers how to make apps look and feel consistent.

How Apps Get Their Look and Feel

  • Apple has created several software design languages for its computers and devices.
    • "Platinum" was used for Mac OS 8 and 9 (starting in 1997). It focused on different shades of gray.
    • "Aqua" came with Mac OS X 10.0 in 2000. It used flatter elements, reflections, and transparency.
    • "Brushed metal" was used for apps like QuickTime Player that looked like real-world devices.
    • In June 2025, Apple introduced "Liquid Glass." This new style across Apple platforms uses glass-like effects and a sense of smooth movement.
  • Microsoft also has its own software styles.
    • "Aero" was used for Windows Vista and Windows 7 (starting in 2006). It featured cool, see-through window borders.
    • The "Metro design language" focused on simple icons and clean, basic shapes. It was used in Windows 8, Windows Phone 7, Xbox 360, and Xbox One.
    • "Fluent Design System" was an update to Metro in 2017. It added more motion, depth, and transparency.
  • Google developed "Material Design" in 2014. This style uses smooth animations, shadows, and a sense of depth. Many Google products, like Android apps and websites, use Material Design.
  • "Flat design" is a style that simplifies elements and colors. It has influenced many interfaces, including Android (starting with Android 4.0), iOS 7, and OS X Yosemite.
  • In 2021, the GNOME Project expanded its "Adwaita" style. It became a full design language for the GNOME desktop environment.

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Design language Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.