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Indeed, I was reading usability text books in college many years ago pointing that out. But Google threw all that out with flat design and now they have to rein

by lnanek2 12y ago

Indeed, I was reading usability text books in college many years ago pointing that out. But Google threw all that out with flat design and now they have to reinvent it. They always have been very bad at taking in external ideas, so lets all just pretend they didn't just rediscover something everyone knew, otherwise they will throw it out again under the not invented here heading.

Ensorceled 12y ago
I was just thinking that. "It's still flat design but now with these usability enhancing shadows, let's call it Material Design and this whole project a Quest!" It's a drop shadow and I spent days figuring out how do to the way our design guy wanted it done in C and Assembler almost 30 years ago.
- hahainternet 12y ago
  Could you point us to this user interface of yours that used drop shadows in 1984? I'm not even doubting you, just interested.
  - easytiger 12y ago
    This is the calculator from Apple Lisa in 1983: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa#mediaviewer/File:Apple_Lisa_Office_System_3.1.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa#mediaviewer/File:App... But borders basically are what we are talking about.
    - hahainternet 12y ago
      It's not really comparable is it? I mean yes, shadows have been around for quite a long time, but Google's new design is particularly interesting I think.
      - tsunamifury 12y ago
        Yes, just because something is conceptually the same doesn't mean it is functionally the same. A lot of reductionist like to state 'This was done before', and ignore the subtle differences that make the implementation better and actually very different in application. For example, animations were no where near as smooth in the Apple Lisa days, nor shadows able to show such subtle differences as to communicate 8+ layers. Even just these two things combine to make a very different experience in the real world.
        pessimizer 12y ago
        Those two things also have absolutely no dependence on UI design, but are a natural consequence of faster computers with more dense displays. I don't understand what the obvious functional difference is between drop shadows http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Apple_Lisa_Office_System_3.1.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Apple_Lisa_Off... here and drop shadows in any other application or webpage.

by lnanek2 12y ago

Ensorceled 12y ago

I was just thinking that. "It's still flat design but now with these usability enhancing shadows, let's call it Material Design and this whole project a Quest!" It's a drop shadow and I spent days figuring out how do to the way our design guy wanted it done in C and Assembler almost 30 years ago.

hahainternet 12y ago
Could you point us to this user interface of yours that used drop shadows in 1984? I'm not even doubting you, just interested.
- easytiger 12y ago
  This is the calculator from Apple Lisa in 1983: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa#mediaviewer/File:Apple_Lisa_Office_System_3.1.png http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Lisa#mediaviewer/File:App... But borders basically are what we are talking about.
  - hahainternet 12y ago
    It's not really comparable is it? I mean yes, shadows have been around for quite a long time, but Google's new design is particularly interesting I think.
    - tsunamifury 12y ago
      Yes, just because something is conceptually the same doesn't mean it is functionally the same. A lot of reductionist like to state 'This was done before', and ignore the subtle differences that make the implementation better and actually very different in application. For example, animations were no where near as smooth in the Apple Lisa days, nor shadows able to show such subtle differences as to communicate 8+ layers. Even just these two things combine to make a very different experience in the real world.
      - pessimizer 12y ago
        Those two things also have absolutely no dependence on UI design, but are a natural consequence of faster computers with more dense displays. I don't understand what the obvious functional difference is between drop shadows http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Apple_Lisa_Office_System_3.1.png http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/52/Apple_Lisa_Off... here and drop shadows in any other application or webpage.