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As much as I (And, I'm sure, many here) loathe the recent overuse of textural design in Mac- and iOS, I think it's also important to note that similarly dreadfu

by cfqycwz 13y ago

As much as I (And, I'm sure, many here) loathe the recent overuse of textural design in Mac- and iOS, I think it's also important to note that similarly dreadful results can be achieved through equally slavish devotion to flat design. The most important thing is functional design--design that conveys its purpose in the most concise and clear way possible. Flat isn't important, texture isn't important--what's important is clear communication of purpose. I think Ive's background as an industrial designer prepares him well to do that, as the design of his products testifies. But this article makes the rumored redesign of iOS sound like change for the sake of change--a dogmatic revolution against textural design instead of a reasoned reconsideration of Apple's recent design principles. If that is the case, I think Apple will meet some bad press from angry customers, much the same way Facebook does whenever they do one of their redesigns.

atirip 13y ago
"I think Ive's background as an industrial designer prepares him well to do that, as the design of his products testifies" Yeah. My MBP is grey, dull, solid brick of aluminium. It is not fun to use like older pre unibody ones. It is cold, bland, unfriendly solid block of greyness. I do not get layd using this, none of my friends say wow. How do you wow a brick of aluminium. No details. Nothing. And not fun, not fun at all. Is it wrong to desire nice, fun tools?
- mrbrowning 13y ago
  Eh, it's a natural progression given their design goals -- I think the central principle behind Apple's design, one even more basic than their idolization of Dieter Rams, is to capitalize on a trope you see in a lot of science fiction: technology that is so advanced as to defy compartmentalization, as if the driver of their functionality is external to the universe itself. Thus the black slate design, the aluminum unibody, the elimination of removable batteries, the thinness obsession they have with the MacBook Air and the iMac. This works especially well for them because technology isn't actually at that stage, so creating the illusion this way really does make their stuff look more advanced (note how that's far and away the most prevalent word in their ad copy, by the way) than competing products to your average consumer.

by cfqycwz 13y ago

atirip 13y ago

"I think Ive's background as an industrial designer prepares him well to do that, as the design of his products testifies" Yeah. My MBP is grey, dull, solid brick of aluminium. It is not fun to use like older pre unibody ones. It is cold, bland, unfriendly solid block of greyness. I do not get layd using this, none of my friends say wow. How do you wow a brick of aluminium. No details. Nothing. And not fun, not fun at all. Is it wrong to desire nice, fun tools?

mrbrowning 13y ago
Eh, it's a natural progression given their design goals -- I think the central principle behind Apple's design, one even more basic than their idolization of Dieter Rams, is to capitalize on a trope you see in a lot of science fiction: technology that is so advanced as to defy compartmentalization, as if the driver of their functionality is external to the universe itself. Thus the black slate design, the aluminum unibody, the elimination of removable batteries, the thinness obsession they have with the MacBook Air and the iMac. This works especially well for them because technology isn't actually at that stage, so creating the illusion this way really does make their stuff look more advanced (note how that's far and away the most prevalent word in their ad copy, by the way) than competing products to your average consumer.