Apple Design Chief Jonathan Ive Knighted in Buckingham Palace, Says 'Best Work' is Underway Now

[NAG]

I agree, finding the right balance is the trick. But if ever I had to decide between a simple interface that users understand and does the job well, and an ornamental one that adds nothing to usability, I'd tend to go for the simple one each time. Not so with Apple unfortunately. Like I said, they take the minimalist approach with their hardware design, but they can't seem to make up their mind when it comes to software. We have some moves to reduce visual clutter, like removing persistent scrollbars—and yet, with the very same OS release we have this faux leather look creeping in. Look, I can live with it, but it's not the way I'd be doing it if I was designing the GUI

Yup, Apple is maddeningly inconsistent with UI conventions. I mean, they basically gave us the Aero glass mess in 10.0 with transparent UI elements everywhere. And then they moved away to brushed metal again (thankfully less tacky). Are tabs on the top or bottom? Should the tabs stretch across the entire window or just be tiny? Do we want to have the stoplight buttons on the top or sideways? They're constantly messing with this stuff.

And beyond the faux leather of Lion and iOS 5 there is the whole linen thing that they are just throwing everywhere. Is it supposed to be what is behind the screen? Then why does it pop over the screen in iOS 5 with the notification center?

I appreciate Apple being able to tinker with new ideas but perhaps they should dial it back a bit closer to the HIG of old (I'm not asking for the dogmatic adherence to the HIG but it did have some good points that Apple is just ignoring).

 

[MacinDoc]

...but only one manufacturer almost exclusively uses the more complicated slot-loading drives.

Not everyone agrees that slot-loading drives are more prone to fail (OK, it's an old quote, but I had trouble finding objective comparisons).

 

[kalsta]

Are tabs on the top or bottom? Should the tabs stretch across the entire window or just be tiny? Do we want to have the stoplight buttons on the top or sideways? They're constantly messing with this stuff.

Oh don't get me started about the constant UI tinkering!! (You left out iTunes scrollbars BTW.)

The tinkering must happen. But it should happen behind closed doors—like Sir Jonathan Ive's mysterious secret lab where magical ideas take shape but only a lucky few ever see the light of day.

I appreciate Apple being able to tinker with new ideas but perhaps they should dial it back a bit closer to the HIG of old (I'm not asking for the dogmatic adherence to the HIG but it did have some good points that Apple is just ignoring).

You're showing your age now.

It was funny how they tried to shoehorn in guidelines about how and when to use brushed metal, when in actual fact I don't think they were ever quite sure themselves when to use it and when not to. You got the feeling the rationale for that was all done in retrospect.

 

[KTF]

Which one? Several software guys aren't even at Apple anymore.

Oh, and I think people are selling Cook short. Without Cook Apple probably wouldn't have the supply chain they do now.

Yeah People Like You ... I Was Talking About The Man Scott Forstall The Sinior Vice iOS Software He Is The man. No Matter How MAGICAL IS The Design If Software Is No Good!
Now Go And Take Jonathan Ive MAGICAL THING And Take It The Way You Like it!
S.

 

[Winter Charm]

Well Snow Lion sounds cooler than Cougar.

What I'm wondering is if he thinks the new Macbook design or the new iPhone design is neater.

Or perhaps some new product no one has seen yet

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Well Snow Lion sounds cooler than Cougar.

What I'm wondering is if he thinks the new Macbook design or the new iPhone design is neater.

I really want them to just use Lolcat or Nyancat.

 

[NAG]

Nyancat would get the rainbow back in the Apple logo.

Of course that would mean that 10.9 is OS X Cat and to make 10.10 OS X Nyancat. And frankly Cat is more awesome than Nyancat.