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Can a designer please explain to me what's so bad about the new iOS 7 UI? (FWIW, I still think the IRIX Indigo Magic Desktop is pretty good looking.)

by acuozzo 13y ago

ChikkaChiChi 13y ago
It's not that there is anything wrong with it, it's just not very "innovative" The new design can be classified as a "Flat UI" a recent movement in interface design where things like reflective surfaces, borders, and photo-realistic elements are eschewed in favor of a minimalist, iconographic look with bold coloring offsetting neutrally colored text. The aesthetic was heavily popularized by Microsoft in Windows 8 when they introduced the Metro UI. Google also picked up on the aesthetic in their redesign of their web services as well as recent iterations of the Android OS. Apple has always been the darling of the design community so for them to be late to the party leaves the Apple faithful with a bit of egg on their face. How dare Microsoft dictate what is cool in a world where everything Apple makes is the very definition of hip. Not only that, there are several major faux paus in the unveiled design that designers are having fits over. Many of the icons in the default interface lack a consistency across different parts of the iOS (like the camera). Any sort of organic rhythm is lost in the palette and seen as jarring. Worst of all, the prized "golden ratio" that Apple has been well known for in their design seems to be gone. To people who pay that kind of attention to things like this, its an unmitigated disaster. PS: Also, skeuomorphism. Because it was horrible until Apple got rid of it, apparently.
- acuozzo 13y ago
  Thanks for this explanation. It's exactly what I was looking for.
antninja 13y ago
The main thing I dislike is the Helvetica typeface. It's such a bland conservative choice that we have seen in every magazine for decades. The Light style is even worse (less legible). I've only seen the demos of iOS 7 and I'm already sick of Helvetica. Also it's very white. I use the black theme on my Windows phone (which itself is imperfect). I find dark themes more pleasant. Otherwise the redesign feels more modern and clean than the current version.

Can a designer please explain to me what's so bad about the new iOS 7 UI? (FWIW, I still think the IRIX Indigo Magic Desktop is pretty good looking.)

by acuozzo 13y ago

Can a designer please explain to me what's so bad about the new iOS 7 UI? (FWIW, I still think the IRIX Indigo Magic Desktop is pretty good looking.)

ChikkaChiChi 13y ago

It's not that there is anything wrong with it, it's just not very "innovative" The new design can be classified as a "Flat UI" a recent movement in interface design where things like reflective surfaces, borders, and photo-realistic elements are eschewed in favor of a minimalist, iconographic look with bold coloring offsetting neutrally colored text. The aesthetic was heavily popularized by Microsoft in Windows 8 when they introduced the Metro UI. Google also picked up on the aesthetic in their redesign of their web services as well as recent iterations of the Android OS. Apple has always been the darling of the design community so for them to be late to the party leaves the Apple faithful with a bit of egg on their face. How dare Microsoft dictate what is cool in a world where everything Apple makes is the very definition of hip. Not only that, there are several major faux paus in the unveiled design that designers are having fits over. Many of the icons in the default interface lack a consistency across different parts of the iOS (like the camera). Any sort of organic rhythm is lost in the palette and seen as jarring. Worst of all, the prized "golden ratio" that Apple has been well known for in their design seems to be gone. To people who pay that kind of attention to things like this, its an unmitigated disaster. PS: Also, skeuomorphism. Because it was horrible until Apple got rid of it, apparently.

acuozzo 13y ago
Thanks for this explanation. It's exactly what I was looking for.

antninja 13y ago

The main thing I dislike is the Helvetica typeface. It's such a bland conservative choice that we have seen in every magazine for decades. The Light style is even worse (less legible). I've only seen the demos of iOS 7 and I'm already sick of Helvetica. Also it's very white. I use the black theme on my Windows phone (which itself is imperfect). I find dark themes more pleasant. Otherwise the redesign feels more modern and clean than the current version.