Varying fields of artistic creation that have their products usually flat by nature have seen a move towards the creation of the illusion of 3 dimensions. Such a tendency can be observed most obviously in films, painting and, to a lesser yet evident degree, in graphic design. Author Steven Heller, in his article “Illusionism, Meet Dimensionalism”, states that the illusion of 3 dimensions in graphic design makes the viewer take a second, more careful, look and thus satisfies a key requirement of any design work. However, Michael Evamy, in “Return To Flatland”, argues that a return to a 2 dimensional understanding is on the rise due to the fact that, while visually shallow, 2 dimensional designs provide deeper meaning.

With this paper, the aim has been to find and get a better sense of the more efficient approach between design that simulates 3 dimensions and flat design. For the assessment of this, a similarity between design and cinema was drawn where, in movies, the tendency has been to give the 3D treatment to popcorn blockbuster movies while indie art films have consistently kept their distance with this kind of illusionistic technology. Through the examination of the audiences’ reaction and interaction with different, both in content and dimensions, types of films, it can be observed that both types serve certain purposes, though when striving for honesty and real human connections, leaving behind false illusions and taking a 2 dimensional flat approach is more beneficial.