The Impact of Shadows
Shadows can transform a flat layout into an engaging, interactive experience by adding depth, highlighting crucial elements, and guiding user interaction. Shadows in digital design mimic natural phenomena, adding a three-dimensional feel to flat designs. They create depth, establish hierarchy, and direct user focus, making elements appear as though they are floating above or pressed into the surface.
Types of Shadows
Drop Shadows: Create the illusion of an object floating above the surface by casting a shadow below and to the side.
Inner Shadows: Create the illusion of an object floating above the surface by casting a shadow below and to the side.
Shadow Properties
X Offset: Adjusts the shadow along the horizontal axis. Used with Y offset to set the light source direction.
Y Offset: Adjusts the shadow along the vertical axis. Used with X offset to set the light source direction.
Blur: Increase the blur to soften the shadow and blend it with the background or decrease to create a sharper contrast.
Spread: Adjust the size of the shadow to represent the distance between the foreground and background objects.
Fill: Apply a color to the shadow using the color picker and set its opacity.
Blur Types
Background Blur: Commonly used for interactive menus in iOS. When you apply a background blur to a layer, Figma will blur any layers behind your selection on the canvas.
Layer Blur: Blurs help imply action or movement or create the illusion of depth in two-dimensional designs. They can also be used to anonymize information.
Simple ways to apply a cool shadow for your hero section for example
1. Get your image
2. Duplicate, resize image and send it back
3. Apply Layer Blur from effects
4. Based on the image set it to 20 - 50
Another way to create shadows without bothering with the numbers is Beautiful Shadow Figma plugin
By simply dragging a 'light source' across your design, you can cast realistic shadows on selected elements, adding depth and dimension to your project. This intuitive feature allows for precise control over shadow direction and intensity, making your designs more visually appealing and dynamic.
Shadows play a crucial role in making digital designs more intuitive and visually appealing. By understanding and effectively utilizing shadows, designers can create more engaging and user-friendly interfaces.
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