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Bit over-the-top I think, with some misleading statements. Apple still publish the HIG. See the iOS version here: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/docum

Bit over-the-top I think, with some misleading statements. Apple still publish the HIG. See the iOS version here: https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/MobileHIG/ https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserEx... Contrary to what the article says, it does explain why various UI elements are designed as they are – not just thoughtless promotion of aesthetics over interaction. I think people often fall back on 'nobody thought about this and it's rubbish' arguments when the reality is often closer to 'they changed this and I don't like it' – the latter is a totally valid complaint, but it's also qualitatively different. In my personal experience, I've not seen computer-naïve users of iOS struggle to a greater degree with iOS 7+ than with any of the previous versions. YMMV of course, but I think the extent to which it's a problem is overstated. There are a couple of exceptions, of course – the reminders app has some stupid UI decisions that irritate me. But what software doesn't? How about that floating 'create a new document' button that was in Google Docs/Sheets/etc. until recently? Every single time I opened it, I had to hunt around for the button to create a new document because it wasn't where I expected it to be. But that doesn't mean Material is awful – it just means that it's a complex, long-term challenge to create a consistent UI applicable to a wide variety of applications. And I don't think modern UX is all that bad.

acomjean 11y ago
As someone who answered questions about ios 8 for people that have never used it. Its not as intuitive as people think. The "switch" icons (or described to me as two circles next to one another) seem to be a source of confusion. Which direction is on? Why?
- ecopoesis 11y ago
  That's strange. The transition to the flat switches is one of the things I like most about the iOS 7 design. Previously, I could never figure out which way was on, but post flat design I have no trouble.
- rikkus 11y ago
  Amusingly you can change something in accessibility that adds a 1 and a 0 to the switches. For some reason I'm still unclear... Does pressing it make it 1 because I can see the 1 to press, or is it now 1 (yes). Android by default has off and on displayed. No idea how they make this work in languages where the equivalent words are longer.
  - euyyn 11y ago
    I guess they stick to "on" and "off". After decades of electronic and electric devices labeled in English, words like those or "play"/"stop" are pretty well understood.
- bsaul 11y ago
  A real life switch is very confusing as well. How many times did switch your light switch without knowing if it was going to turn the light on ? A switch is symetrical by design. They tried to remove the symetry on ios 7, and with the color it becomes more like "highlighted on/off". Which is better.
gone35 11y ago
In my personal experience, I've not seen computer-naïve users of iOS struggle to a greater degree with iOS 7+ than with any of the previous versions. Interesting. My experience is exactly the opposite: pretty much all my close relatives --from across the lifespan-- hate iOS7+, and still complain about its (un)usability fairly regularly. Admittedly there could be sizeable a clustering effect going on, but to me it's been surprising nevertheless how my own family went from loving everything Apple to hating it with a passion.

acomjean 11y ago

As someone who answered questions about ios 8 for people that have never used it. Its not as intuitive as people think. The "switch" icons (or described to me as two circles next to one another) seem to be a source of confusion. Which direction is on? Why?

ecopoesis 11y ago
That's strange. The transition to the flat switches is one of the things I like most about the iOS 7 design. Previously, I could never figure out which way was on, but post flat design I have no trouble.
rikkus 11y ago
Amusingly you can change something in accessibility that adds a 1 and a 0 to the switches. For some reason I'm still unclear... Does pressing it make it 1 because I can see the 1 to press, or is it now 1 (yes). Android by default has off and on displayed. No idea how they make this work in languages where the equivalent words are longer.
- euyyn 11y ago
  I guess they stick to "on" and "off". After decades of electronic and electric devices labeled in English, words like those or "play"/"stop" are pretty well understood.
bsaul 11y ago
A real life switch is very confusing as well. How many times did switch your light switch without knowing if it was going to turn the light on ? A switch is symetrical by design. They tried to remove the symetry on ios 7, and with the color it becomes more like "highlighted on/off". Which is better.

gone35 11y ago

In my personal experience, I've not seen computer-naïve users of iOS struggle to a greater degree with iOS 7+ than with any of the previous versions. Interesting. My experience is exactly the opposite: pretty much all my close relatives --from across the lifespan-- hate iOS7+, and still complain about its (un)usability fairly regularly. Admittedly there could be sizeable a clustering effect going on, but to me it's been surprising nevertheless how my own family went from loving everything Apple to hating it with a passion.