The remark about Windows 8 is exceptionally poignant. Win 8 is gorgeous, and eliminating the "mimicking" of outdated memes is spot-on. There's a REASON Ive is paid what he's paid, and keeps winning award after award. He's smart, he's got exceptional taste, and moreover, he's RIGHT. Time for modernism instead of anachronism!
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Apple's Designers Clashing Over 'Tacky' Software Skeuomorphisms
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I've never had a problem with the calendar update... mostly because the iCal before was so aged in its look, I suppose... but to me game center is just gross... and actually, that's why I don't use it at all. It looks like something out of Microsoft or some really old EA product. It doesn't look realistic to me, just annoying. Why not take the approach Apple's always used and evolve the idea of a green table to something matte and smooth.. something new and beautiful on the screen? Not some disappointing replica . . .
That said, I think toning down of the Calendar theme was much needed as implemented in 10.8.
Gotta love design...
That said, I think toning down of the Calendar theme was much needed as implemented in 10.8.
Gotta love design...
Totally agree. Plain and functional is what computers should be. I'll put wood and leather in my office and studio, but want my screen clean and fast.
I really don't mind most of the apps, but try to use the iPad's Contacts app in portrait mode.
I literally makes me want to kill someone.
I literally makes me want to kill someone.
But all good things should be done moderately. Not to much and not to little. It's a thin line but I believe Apple knows how to balance these things. Their biggest problem is iPhone hardware design. People are buying covers like crazy because the phone feels slippery and awkward to hold. I prefer a curved back on a phone so it's easier to hold and type.
As long as it doesn't have an effect on functionality, I don't care. For example, I don't mind the Game Center skin or the calendar, but if I had to wait on an animated shredder GIF-type thing when I deleted something (However brief it may be), I'd be annoyed.
I can't stand what they have done with address book in (mountain) lion. I still think snow leopard represents the pinnnacle of Apple's efforts from a desktop GUI design perspective.
as an aside, the attempts to integrate touch-screen design elements into a mouse driven environment (e.g. on demand scroll bars) just don't make any sense to me.
as an aside, the attempts to integrate touch-screen design elements into a mouse driven environment (e.g. on demand scroll bars) just don't make any sense to me.
The whimsical graphics and animations are part of the Apple experience. Having "glitter" on an application interface is not always a bad thing, it makes users smile.
You can't please everybody, and this specific aspect of Apple design probably only angers a minority of people that are hypercritical about things that the general public doesn't think twice about, like font choices.
You can't please everybody, and this specific aspect of Apple design probably only angers a minority of people that are hypercritical about things that the general public doesn't think twice about, like font choices.
I'm on Ive's side on this one; the leather-bound look of iCal just doesn't fit in with the sleek aluminum theme of the rest of OS X. So glad there's apps and scripts that let you go back to the old design.
This. Whenever I cringe a bit at apple's new tendency towards skeu... ski... skew.... reallookylikey interfaces I just have to cast my mind back to 10.3 and the 'brushed aluminium revolution' and a bit of fake leather doesn't seem too bad!
You mean like Game Center? I don't really mind Calendar and Contact, they're a bit cheesy but at least fonts/colors are kind of OK. But Game Center...
Geez, it really looks like some work done by a college student... fonts are so not Apple-like, golden and green mat colors are outright ugly in my opinion. Even in a real casino, those tables would be changed by the management...
Podcast
Nothings more skeuomorphic then the new(ish) podcast app. Not to say that I don't sort of like it, but is anybody else horrified by the horizontally stretched numbers used for the time indicators? Its so weird, it almost appears to be a mistake. And, it's also really badly kerned. I really don't know what they were doing, Steve would never have let that slide...
Nothings more skeuomorphic then the new(ish) podcast app. Not to say that I don't sort of like it, but is anybody else horrified by the horizontally stretched numbers used for the time indicators? Its so weird, it almost appears to be a mistake. And, it's also really badly kerned. I really don't know what they were doing, Steve would never have let that slide...
Mad Mac Maniac
macrumors 601
I know a lot of people attack this, but honestly, it doesn't really bother me. In a way I do think it personalizes the digital objects.
He's kidding right? a PAPER shredder?? How in the world are those obsolete? I'm 26 and I have seen them my whole life. I use one at work, and I have one at home for shredding documents with personal identification.
I mean "How many iPhone users have ever actually seen a paper shredder in real life?" REALLY? Even if they are going obsolete over the past decade, does he think majority of iPhone users are teenagers and below? The guy's nuts. That comment alone dismisses everything else he says.
He's kidding right? a PAPER shredder?? How in the world are those obsolete? I'm 26 and I have seen them my whole life. I use one at work, and I have one at home for shredding documents with personal identification.
I mean "How many iPhone users have ever actually seen a paper shredder in real life?" REALLY? Even if they are going obsolete over the past decade, does he think majority of iPhone users are teenagers and below? The guy's nuts. That comment alone dismisses everything else he says.
I hate it if it’s bad—if it involves poor choices in how the app works. I don’t see such a pattern: Apple makes some bad UI functionality choices here and there, in both skeumorphic and “conventional” apps alike.
Otherwise, I like skeumorphic design: if basic interactions/habits still apply, then a different “skin” if professionally built can give each app a unique look. That’s functional—as though the whole app is one big icon: it tells you at a glance what this app (or window) is. (And these objects are NOT unfamiliar to people, nor will they be in any useful lifetime of these apps.)
This kind of variety bothered me at first—especially when Dashboard was new. But then I saw the value of having each widget look so unique. The same CAN apply (if done right and used sparingly) to full apps.
As for Game Center... I think it’s very slick and well-done, and gives the app a distinct identity. I for one hate that identity: it says “basement rec room with 1950s games from a garage sale that probably smell like mildew and are missing some of the pieces.” It doesn’t say “modern video games” to me.
Otherwise, I like skeumorphic design: if basic interactions/habits still apply, then a different “skin” if professionally built can give each app a unique look. That’s functional—as though the whole app is one big icon: it tells you at a glance what this app (or window) is. (And these objects are NOT unfamiliar to people, nor will they be in any useful lifetime of these apps.)
This kind of variety bothered me at first—especially when Dashboard was new. But then I saw the value of having each widget look so unique. The same CAN apply (if done right and used sparingly) to full apps.
As for Game Center... I think it’s very slick and well-done, and gives the app a distinct identity. I for one hate that identity: it says “basement rec room with 1950s games from a garage sale that probably smell like mildew and are missing some of the pieces.” It doesn’t say “modern video games” to me.
No, you do have a point. But it's more like this:
"When the cat's away, the rats come out to play!"
Without a strong hand like SJ's, you're increasingly going to see internal strife like that - what Apple needed NOW was to have someone telling people to EITHER go skeuo all the way or NOT (whether one liked the choice or not).
Cook is a wimp in this regard, with little to no vision going forward - so I expect, five years now, to see Apple with a leadership style just like Spindler's or Amelio's.
Does anyone here remember the Copland fiasco? There you go.
p.s.: At least one may propose this: give people the option to use one or the other.
p.s.2: There is probably NOTHING worse than the iTunes for iPad UI...NOTHING.
Gamecenter has to be the worst offender after iCal. It shows how much out of touch Apple is with gaming. Seriously what were they thinking?
http://www.benetton.com/
Are you a paid poster? Did someone buy your a thesaurus for christmas?
Click on that link and you will see where MSFT got their inspiration from. If you want to use an OS that looks like a clothing store website, be my guest.
As for a shredder, I have one in my home office. A lot of people do.
PS. Search in your favourite search engine the following "swiss road signs". MSFT's main font is inspired by the swiss sign font.
To be fair, most companies are like that. Lots of different people wanting to go in different directions. Hence, you get products designed by committee, with lots of compromises to appease others on the team.
I guess what set Apple apart was it had a very, very headstrong person (Jobs) who dominated the company; which resulted in very clear, focused plans and products. He probably wasn't a nice person to work with (and as a customer if you wanted something off the Apple radar like a gaming Mac, you're out of luck), but it's hard to deny he very much kept the company on track and on message.
Hard to see anyone filling that 'dominating' void, particularly not Ives.