Glassmorphism
Picture two pieces of coloured glass laid over one another. The overlap forms a third colour and a bright edge reveals which piece sits in front. A logo can suggest that effect with a still image.
Examples to look at
- Apple Shortcuts
- The coloured tiles make the overlap easy to spot.
- Windows Vista
- The glossy Windows orb is a historical reference for a highlight suggesting a glass surface.
- Apple Photos
- The coloured petals demonstrate how translucent overlaps can preserve the shapes beneath.
What the layers communicate
Transparency can suggest openness, lightness or the meeting of two ideas. For a collaboration tool, two independently recognisable shapes sharing a patch of colour can tell that story. A designer starts with their arrangement, then varies opacity until you can follow each shape through the overlap.
Choosing a background
A translucent mark borrows colour from whatever sits behind it. It might be legible on a pale product screen and vanish over a bright photograph. Agree on a solid holding tile or a one-colour alternative for unpredictable backgrounds. For print, inspect a proof of the mixed colours on the paper you actually intend to buy.
Try the overlap test
Cut two shapes from coloured film. Move them over white paper, a dark notebook and a photograph. Keep the arrangement that still reads as two distinct pieces on each surface.