4 ms·

Probably just nostalgia but man those icons remind me of how fun the internet and computing seemed in the mid late 90’s. Nowadays everything Seems sterile

cli_shall 5y ago
You aren't alone in that. It's actually prompted me to sit here and reflect on that very thing. Things are definitely too slick and sterile compared to those earlier days of pioneering wonder.
amyjess 5y ago
Honestly a lot of people talk about how much they hate skeumorphism, but in the early '10s when most of the existing vendors abandoned it, it broke my heart and basically destroyed any love I still had for GUIs. First Microsoft abandoning skeumorphism with Windows Phone 7 (and later Windows 8), then Apple going to war against skeumorphism in iOS 7. That one-two punch just broke me, and it especially hurt when Apple did it specifically because of Susan Kare's history with the company. I've always despised Jony Ive's entire design aesthetic ever since the original iPod came out, but when he neutered iOS my dislike of him became intensely personal. I still say that if I ever win the lottery and become a billionaire, I'll hire a team to make a proprietary mobile OS just for my personal use that's built around skeumorphism and trying to imitate either iOS 6 or maybe even translate '80s and '90s Mac styles to a touch-first platform.
- underwater 5y ago
  I quite liked parts of the Windows Phone 7 take on UI. Some bits were just old school UI switched out for blocky rectangles. But other parts were great. It had a beautiful hotizontal scrolling pattern [1] that replaced patterns like Windows tabs and the iOS style navigation bars. The background had a parralax scrolling effect that tied it all together. When the design used animation and motion well you could see a glimpse of something that was both unique and good. Even 11 years later, those designs look modern and usable. Unfortunately Windows 10 has gone exclusively down the old-school UI with blocky boxes route. 1: https://youtu.be/8dM4X-KveSs?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/8dM4X-KveSs?t=1m23s
- ido 5y ago
  You can probably just make a custom UI for Android for less than a billion $!
- HotDogLinux 5y ago
  I also share your enthusiasm for the old GUI's, I used to love everything Apple did, but at this point I don't see myself ever buying anything from Apple ever again. For me it wasn't just the old iOS, it was also Objective-C that I loved, it's still my favorite programming language to use. When they went to Swift, that was the nail in the coffin. But I actually prefer iOS 5 over iOS 6. I bought a couple of old iPhone 4's (not the 4S, the 4) because it's possible to downgrade them to iOS 5 (or iOS 6 actually). I think the 4S is no longer able to downgrade. I am writing an X window manager that imitates the old Mac Classic GUI to some degree and parts of the old iOS interface (as well as other classic GUI's), if you're interested you can take a look at hotdoglinux.com. I've been thinking of putting together some kind of Raspberry Pi distribution with a touchscreen interface, but we'll see. You wouldn't need to become a billionaire to do that though, it's not that hard
  - xattt 5y ago
    Where have you found refuge from abstract UIs in a mobile device?
    - HotDogLinux 5y ago
      Sadly nowhere. I've gone back to having multiple devices, a Nexus 4 for apps/browsing, an iPod nano 2nd gen for music, and at times an iPhone 4 for phone calls, sms and email. I can't use a device with extra tall aspect ratio like 18:9 or a notch or rounded corners on the actual display. I had thoughts of making an old iOS style UI for Android, but came to the conclusion that Android is too f*ucked and poorly designed, it just will never work right.
- TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
  I loved the tactility of early versions of iOS. That 1.0 screen was such a work of art, made of so many harmonious metaphors - the glassiness of the icons matching the glass of the screen, but with the depth contrasting with the flatness of the screen while also harmonising with the depth and curviness of the phone body. Even the little blue glass dot in Maps had so much character compared to the generic indicator we have today. iOS7+ is certainly usable, but it definitely lost some of its soul when the skeuomorphism disappeared. The design went from icons-as-objects to icons-as-menu-items. It's a small visual change, but a completely different set of UX metaphors.
- xattt 5y ago
  Purely speculative, but I’m sure Jobs held back the flat UI changes. In his absence, Jonny Ive got carte blanche to go wild with his featureless, sexless UIs. Apple leadership obviously cut him off a few years ago after realizing the lack of sustainability of his design.

cli_shall 5y ago

You aren't alone in that. It's actually prompted me to sit here and reflect on that very thing. Things are definitely too slick and sterile compared to those earlier days of pioneering wonder.

amyjess 5y ago

Honestly a lot of people talk about how much they hate skeumorphism, but in the early '10s when most of the existing vendors abandoned it, it broke my heart and basically destroyed any love I still had for GUIs. First Microsoft abandoning skeumorphism with Windows Phone 7 (and later Windows 8), then Apple going to war against skeumorphism in iOS 7. That one-two punch just broke me, and it especially hurt when Apple did it specifically because of Susan Kare's history with the company. I've always despised Jony Ive's entire design aesthetic ever since the original iPod came out, but when he neutered iOS my dislike of him became intensely personal. I still say that if I ever win the lottery and become a billionaire, I'll hire a team to make a proprietary mobile OS just for my personal use that's built around skeumorphism and trying to imitate either iOS 6 or maybe even translate '80s and '90s Mac styles to a touch-first platform.

underwater 5y ago
I quite liked parts of the Windows Phone 7 take on UI. Some bits were just old school UI switched out for blocky rectangles. But other parts were great. It had a beautiful hotizontal scrolling pattern [1] that replaced patterns like Windows tabs and the iOS style navigation bars. The background had a parralax scrolling effect that tied it all together. When the design used animation and motion well you could see a glimpse of something that was both unique and good. Even 11 years later, those designs look modern and usable. Unfortunately Windows 10 has gone exclusively down the old-school UI with blocky boxes route. 1: https://youtu.be/8dM4X-KveSs?t=1m23s https://youtu.be/8dM4X-KveSs?t=1m23s
ido 5y ago
You can probably just make a custom UI for Android for less than a billion $!
HotDogLinux 5y ago
I also share your enthusiasm for the old GUI's, I used to love everything Apple did, but at this point I don't see myself ever buying anything from Apple ever again. For me it wasn't just the old iOS, it was also Objective-C that I loved, it's still my favorite programming language to use. When they went to Swift, that was the nail in the coffin. But I actually prefer iOS 5 over iOS 6. I bought a couple of old iPhone 4's (not the 4S, the 4) because it's possible to downgrade them to iOS 5 (or iOS 6 actually). I think the 4S is no longer able to downgrade. I am writing an X window manager that imitates the old Mac Classic GUI to some degree and parts of the old iOS interface (as well as other classic GUI's), if you're interested you can take a look at hotdoglinux.com. I've been thinking of putting together some kind of Raspberry Pi distribution with a touchscreen interface, but we'll see. You wouldn't need to become a billionaire to do that though, it's not that hard
- xattt 5y ago
  Where have you found refuge from abstract UIs in a mobile device?
  - HotDogLinux 5y ago
    Sadly nowhere. I've gone back to having multiple devices, a Nexus 4 for apps/browsing, an iPod nano 2nd gen for music, and at times an iPhone 4 for phone calls, sms and email. I can't use a device with extra tall aspect ratio like 18:9 or a notch or rounded corners on the actual display. I had thoughts of making an old iOS style UI for Android, but came to the conclusion that Android is too f*ucked and poorly designed, it just will never work right.
TheOtherHobbes 5y ago
I loved the tactility of early versions of iOS. That 1.0 screen was such a work of art, made of so many harmonious metaphors - the glassiness of the icons matching the glass of the screen, but with the depth contrasting with the flatness of the screen while also harmonising with the depth and curviness of the phone body. Even the little blue glass dot in Maps had so much character compared to the generic indicator we have today. iOS7+ is certainly usable, but it definitely lost some of its soul when the skeuomorphism disappeared. The design went from icons-as-objects to icons-as-menu-items. It's a small visual change, but a completely different set of UX metaphors.
xattt 5y ago
Purely speculative, but I’m sure Jobs held back the flat UI changes. In his absence, Jonny Ive got carte blanche to go wild with his featureless, sexless UIs. Apple leadership obviously cut him off a few years ago after realizing the lack of sustainability of his design.