Skeuomorph

A skeuomorph  /ˈskjuːəmɔrf/ skew-ə-morf, or skeuomorphism (Greek: skeuos—vessel or tool, morphe—shape), is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues to a structure that was necessary in the original. Skeuomorphs may be deliberately employed to make the new look comfortably old and familiar, such as copper cladding on zinc pennies or computer printed postage with circular town name and cancellation lines. An alternative definition is "an element of design or structure that serves little or no purpose in the artifact fashioned from the new material but was essential to the object made from the original material". This definition is narrower in scope and ties skeuomorphs to changes in materials.

Physical skeuomorphs

Historically, high-status items, such as metal tableware, were often recreated for the mass market using ceramics, which were a cheaper material. In certain cases, efforts were made to recreate the rivets in the metal originals by adding pellets of clay to the pottery version.

A decorative rivet covering the functional rivet underneath.

In the modern era, cheaper plastic items often attempt to mimic more expensive wooden and metal products though they are only skeuomorphic if new ornamentation references original functionality, such as molded screw heads in molded plastic items. Blue jeans have authentic-looking brass rivet caps covering the functional steel rivet beneath; digital cameras play a recorded audio clip of a conventional SLR camera mirror slap and shutter click. Such ornamentation is not necessarily non-functional: the camera shutter sound is used to indicate to subject and photographer when the taking of the picture is complete. However, the function could also be provided with a different sound or feature, yet very rarely is.

Hubcap with non-functional spokes.

Other examples

• Decorative stone features of Greek temples such as mutules, guttae, and modillions derived from true structural/functional features of the early wooden temples
• Ornamental pylons framing modern bridges, such as the twin 89 metre pylons at each end of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. They do not support anything, and are there only to frame the structure itself and make it look more like a traditional bridge.
• An early pottery butter churn, at the Jaffa Museum, shaped rather like an American football, imitating the shape of its predecessors, which were made of hide.
• Injection-molded plastic sandals that replicate woven strips of leather, or elaborate lacing on velcro-secured shoes
• Artificial film grain added to digitally-shot movies to give a softer, more expensive effect and the expected "shimmer" of the grain pattern between successive frames
• Various spoke patterns in automobile hubcaps and wheels resembling earlier wheel construction (wooden spokes or wire spokes)
• Fake woodgrain printing on modern items actually made of plastic, formica, or pressboard
• Non-structural brick or stone cladding on concrete block or steel frame buildings. Brick and stone are used as a veneer intended to recall the structural stability and longevity of masonry buildings
• Ornamental stitching in plastic items that used to be made of leather or vinyl and actually stitched together, but are now either glued together or made as a single piece
• Tiny, non-functional handles on small maple syrup jugs
• A fiberglass boat with striations made to look like wood planking
• The non-functional scoops on numerous automobiles, notably supercharger scoop on the second generation Mini-Cooper, and nearly all rear wheel brake scoops on Ford Mustangs of any vintage.
• Bowsprits mounted on the bows of steamships (which, having no sails, require no rigging)
• Large-diameter concentric "hardware" encircling the much smaller objective lenses on many digital still and video cameras
• Cigarettes with the paper around the cigarette filter printed to look like a cork filter
• Hopper of a digital slot machine
• Non-functional "fake" window shutters
• Fake mullions on window panes
• Flame-shaped chandelier light bulbs
• Rotary knob in an electric lamp's socket base, meant to imitate the knob of a gas lamp or oil lamp, as well as the vase shaped base of many electric lamps inspired by the oil lamp's font (oil reservoir).

Digital skeuomorphs

Portion of iCal, calendaring software from Apple Inc.. Skeumorphs in iCal include leather appearance, stitching and remnants of torn pages.

Computer interfaces, pictures of buttons that appear to move up and down, files and folders that look like real world objects, added to operating systems that formerly had a command line input. Many music and audio computer programs employ a plugin architecture, and some of the plugins have a skeuomorphic interface to emulate expensive, fragile or obsolete instruments and audio processors. Functional input controls like knobs, buttons, switches and sliders are all careful duplicates of the ones on the original physical device being emulated. Even elements of the original that serve no function, like handles, screws and ventilation holes are graphically reproduced.

The arguments in favor of skeuomorphic design are that it makes it easier for those familiar with the original device to use the digital emulation, and that it is graphically appealing.

The arguments against skeuomorphic design are that skeuomorphic interface elements use metaphors that are more difficult to operate and take up more screen space than standard interface elements; that this breaks operating system interface design standards; that skeuomorphic interface elements rarely incorporate numeric input or feedback for accurately setting a value; and that many users may have no experience with the original device being emulated.

Skeuomorphism is differentiated from path dependence in technology, where functional behavior is maintained when the reasons for its design no longer exist.

References

• Vickers, M. & Gill, D. (1994). Artful Crafts: Ancient Greek Silverware and Pottery. Oxford.
• Freeth, C.M. & Taylor, T.F. (2001). Skeuomorphism in Scythia: deference and emulation, Olbia ta antichnii svit. Kiev: British Academy/Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. P. 150.