I wanna start off by saying that I downloaded iOS 7 and I like most of it so this thread is not meant to bash the new OS. Perhaps it's still because I'm shell shocked by the difference between it and the previous iOS but I feel like certain mundane and seemingly superficial aspects of the OS got me thinking its a bit of a departure for Apple. It almost seems like a shift in philosophy.
For starters, they've flattened the interface and removed the gloss layer. Also many of the buttons have sharper cleaner edges now (like the hang up button or the trash button when swiping to delete in mail). As an apple user, I'm used to a rather round, bubbly interface. Most windows users consider the interface childish and unnecessary but I always felt like that's part of what set Apple products apart; they weren't so square and Bauhaus styled. Simple, clean and functional yet the OS is pleasantly animated. The new iOS design makes me feel like I have a iDevice made by Microsoft or Samsung; it feels like it is function over form, business over pleasure with not a whole lot of charm. I'm also surprised that Apple has gone with fonts and icons that have much less contrast than before. I told my father he should hold out on upgrading because he has poor vision. The previous interface in iOS 6 is easy to read which makes it nice even for "the elders". The ease of use and accessibility for everyone has always been a strength of iDevices in the past.
Another thing that struck me was the sound design for the rings, notifications etc. Apple's "classic" sounds are earthy and organic. The marimba sound became synonymous with the iPhone! African hand drums, xylophones, a guitar strum, even the non musical tones and sounds were charming and organic. The new sound design is definitely a departure from that; they actually have more "song like" ring tones. That brings me back to 2003 when I had a Sony Phillips phone and half the ringtones were Megaman type techno beats. The other ring tones are mostly modern spacey bleeps and bloops. All pretty cold if you ask me.
So all of these observations have had me thinking; is this the result of a year past since the death of Steve Job?. Was his influence/philosophy so great on the Apple line of products that we are now going to see more and more "mainstream" and function over form interfaces that are more square? Is the slight tongue-in-cheek aspect of the interface on its way out the door for a more straightforward interface that is less distinct from other competing platforms?
For starters, they've flattened the interface and removed the gloss layer. Also many of the buttons have sharper cleaner edges now (like the hang up button or the trash button when swiping to delete in mail). As an apple user, I'm used to a rather round, bubbly interface. Most windows users consider the interface childish and unnecessary but I always felt like that's part of what set Apple products apart; they weren't so square and Bauhaus styled. Simple, clean and functional yet the OS is pleasantly animated. The new iOS design makes me feel like I have a iDevice made by Microsoft or Samsung; it feels like it is function over form, business over pleasure with not a whole lot of charm. I'm also surprised that Apple has gone with fonts and icons that have much less contrast than before. I told my father he should hold out on upgrading because he has poor vision. The previous interface in iOS 6 is easy to read which makes it nice even for "the elders". The ease of use and accessibility for everyone has always been a strength of iDevices in the past.
Another thing that struck me was the sound design for the rings, notifications etc. Apple's "classic" sounds are earthy and organic. The marimba sound became synonymous with the iPhone! African hand drums, xylophones, a guitar strum, even the non musical tones and sounds were charming and organic. The new sound design is definitely a departure from that; they actually have more "song like" ring tones. That brings me back to 2003 when I had a Sony Phillips phone and half the ringtones were Megaman type techno beats. The other ring tones are mostly modern spacey bleeps and bloops. All pretty cold if you ask me.
So all of these observations have had me thinking; is this the result of a year past since the death of Steve Job?. Was his influence/philosophy so great on the Apple line of products that we are now going to see more and more "mainstream" and function over form interfaces that are more square? Is the slight tongue-in-cheek aspect of the interface on its way out the door for a more straightforward interface that is less distinct from other competing platforms?
via ehMac.ca http://www.ehmac.ca/showthread.php?t=110833&goto=newpost
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