Apple Design Chief Jony Ive Retaking Direct Control of Design Team [Updated]

[avkills]

Perhaps we will get the Magsafe charging back on the MacBooks; arguably the best design feature to come out of Apple and yet discarded in favor of USB-C charging. That magnetic port has saved my laptop many times from ending up on the floor.

The root bug in OS X should result in a firing in my opinion; Apple has been using BSD based Darwin for how long!? And yet this happened.

Personally I have given up on Apple products; hackintosh has been the best machine yet; despite the increased update hassles. Please Apple make something that doesn't come with a monitor worth buying.

 

[Michael Goff]

It was for fun, not a serious statement at all.

Fun?

 

[-hh]

(On SD cards)

[doublepost=1512783959][/doublepost]
They did. Wireless transfer to iPad on Canon cameras. Works very well.

It may "work well" ... but when I looked into the performance level offered for my Canon 7D Mk2, I found it to not be particularly compelling of an 'upgrade'.

For example, 802.11n (best available) is only 75 MB/s (max theoretical), which is half of the speed ratings of my better cards even before considering real world transfer speeds ....

... and an additional concern is what happens when the camera's battery isn't full at the start of a transfer (such as just getting home from a shoot): will the time required to wirelessly dump a full card (such as my current 64GB cards, since I shoot RAW) exceed all or part of the camera's battery life?

For example, when shooting video, the factory says 80 minutes out of a full battery. Assume an older battery and some level of discharge from a shoot and the practical time limit is probably no better than ~40 minutes. Now using a 'realized throughput' transfer rate of 33% of its theoretical wireless bandwidth (a third is a good rule of thumb), to subsequently transfer a full 64GB card will take 2560 seconds ... roughly 43 minutes. Thanks, but I'll plug in and get it done faster, with lower risks.

 

[Col4bin]

Uh oh. More watch bands and plain forest Christmas trees.

 

[mariusignorello]

(On SD cards)



It may "work well" ... but when I looked into the performance level offered for my Canon 7D Mk2, I found it to not be particularly compelling of an 'upgrade'.

For example, 802.11n (best available) is only 75 MB/s (max theoretical), which is half of the speed ratings of my better cards even before considering real world transfer speeds ....

... and an additional concern is what happens when the camera's battery isn't full at the start of a transfer (such as just getting home from a shoot): will the time required to wirelessly dump a full card (such as my current 64GB cards, since I shoot RAW) exceed all or part of the camera's battery life?

For example, when shooting video, the factory says 80 minutes out of a full battery. Assume an older battery and some level of discharge from a shoot and the practical time limit is probably no better than ~40 minutes. Now using a 'realized throughput' transfer rate of 33% of its theoretical wireless bandwidth (a third is a good rule of thumb), to subsequently transfer a full 64GB card will take 2560 seconds ... roughly 43 minutes. Thanks, but I'll plug in and get it done faster, with lower risks.

By the way, my “works well” opinion was based off of my photographers use of the app, not mine. During the photo shoot (2 hours long) there was minimal lag getting raw files to the app and the camera wasn’t fully charged. That being said, he only uses that setup when the Mac isn’t available (he has two locations).

 

[Tozovac]

Uh oh. More watch bands and plain forest Christmas trees.

I’d think the opposite. Sounds like he’ll have less time for those things as he gets back into focusing on what port or button or non-software interface device to remove from iPhones and macs in 2018.

 

[-hh]

By the way, my “works well” opinion was based off of my photographers use of the app, not mine. During the photo shoot (2 hours long) there was minimal lag getting raw files to the app and the camera wasn’t fully charged. That being said, he only uses that setup when the Mac isn’t available (he has two locations).

Fair enough, for this really is alluding to differences in use cases.

For example, as per your description above, it appears that the use case you were considering, was one where one had a tethered ... but now wireless ... system.

In contrast, I'm looking at use cases where there's not a viable option (or desire) to tether (and thus, download-as-you-go). For example, several dusty outdoor hours bouncing around in a safari jeep on an African game drive, or going scuba diving with a dSLR in an underwater housing - - in these sorts of use cases, the download device isn't present, so the data transfer to it ends up being an end-of-day (or end-of-trip) big batch download.

 

[marty11]

Yes! Yes! We can only hope he redesigns it. We are getting so bored with rectangles. What is your prediction- a triangle? Oval? Diamond perhaps? These rectangles just got to go. And no more of these glass and metal cases- so yesterday. Bring on the wood cases-in oak, fir and maple.

Since Apple thinks they invented the rectangle, I am betting they will stick with that shape. Though a deviation from the iphone 6 would we welcome.

Any comments on the 9 year old iMac design?
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This critique assumes that useful change can (and must) occur often for any given device. Do you agree with that thought, and would you say it's impossible for a certain design to reach a point where any "significant" change may feel forced, unnecessary, compromised, and/or even silly?

I'd say making iPhone 8 design reiterate the iPhone 6 was more forced than anything. The only reason it exists is to make the iPhone X look more modern and sexier. It's a tired design in desperate need of a refresh. If released on it's own, it would be a joke and probably the worst selling iphone in history.

 

[Hanson Eigilson]

The 2017 MBP is thinner and lighter than the 2015 MBP. I wouldn't go so far as to say that there was no opportunity cost in leaving all those ports in. Every port takes up that little extra bit of space, however little and inconsequential each may occupy on its own.

there is a TON of empty room inside the 2016/2017 mbp's, much more under the mainboard.

 

[avkills]

there is a TON of empty room inside the 2016/2017 mbp's, much more under the mainboard.

Get rid of the speakers, they can be external and only hook up through another special dongle that must be purchased separately of course. They need to make the USB-C connection thinner also. We don't need a Kensington lock slot either because everyone is honest enough to never steal laptops.

 

[Tozovac]

It's a tired design in desperate need of a refresh.

Why is that? For a device so small that’s getting increasingly more simple as Apple removes ports and buttons, how much more can be reinvented, and why is a change necessary. What’s noticeably broken or poorly-designed that can be improved by a redesign?
[doublepost=1513034559][/doublepost]

Get rid of the speakers, they can be external and only hook up through another special dongle that must be purchased separately of course. They need to make the USB-C connection thinner also. We don't need a Kensington lock slot either because everyone is honest enough to never steal laptops.

Watch what you joke about........Apple’s new mode of giving more each year by giving less each year should be nothing to joke about.

 

[avkills]

Why is that? For a device so small that’s getting increasingly more simple as Apple removes ports and buttons, how much more can be reinvented, and why is a change necessary. What’s noticeably broken or poorly-designed that can be improved by a redesign?
[doublepost=1513034559][/doublepost]

Watch what you joke about........Apple’s new mode of giving more each year by giving less each year should be nothing to joke about.

That ain't no lie. Apple don't read this! As of right now I am trade marking the use of external speakers through specialized dongles!

 

[itsamacthing]

So maybe my iPhone X in the future might ship with a useable cable?

 

[I7guy]

I’d think the opposite. Sounds like he’ll have less time for those things as he gets back into focusing on what port or button or non-software interface device to remove from iPhones and macs in 2018.

So you think that will be what Jony Ive will be solely focusing on?

 

[Abazigal]

So maybe my iPhone X in the future might ship with a useable cable?

What's wrong with the cable it currently ships with?

I know I am still using the same lightning cable that came with my 5s, and apart from being a little dirtier, it's in mint condition.

 

[Tozovac]

So you think that will be what Jony Ive will be solely focusing on?

I deservedly or not blame that hack of a “designer” for removing intuitiveness from iOS in 2013, for turning Apple stores into giftshops for buying his Minimalism Design Contest submissions, and for turning OSX into looking like the operating system for My First Computer by Fisher Price. So yes, I believe will see even wackier non-user-friendly changes in Apple devices now.

 

[I7guy]

I deservedly or not blame that hack of a “designer” for removing intuitiveness from iOS in 2013, for turning Apple stores into giftshops for buying his Minimalism Design Contest submissions, and for turning OSX into looking like the operating system for My First Computer by Fisher Price. So yes, I believe will see even wackier non-user-friendly changes in Apple devices now.

All I can say is start getting rid of your Apple equipment since you know the future and the future isn’t for you. Or try jive@apple.com. Maybe the world class designer will take your suggestions.

 

[Tozovac]

All I can say is start getting rid of your Apple equipment since you know the future and the future isn’t for you. Or try jive@apple.com. Maybe the world class designer will take your suggestions.

I agree, I fear. I don’t see Apple reneging their communist rule over hardware and opening the doors to capitalism anytime soon. Funny how I valued their closed ecosystem method when they were run by leadership who valued a balanced user-experience and after 2013 it’s bitten me in the rear, where it’s been nothing but increasingly bitter-cold winters with stores selling only White bread and Translucent water served on Flat plates.

I could very well see myself leaving Apple until software & hardware is again controlled by those with more focus on the user-experience than on all this veering from time-tested “obvious” ways of doing things based on human nature just to interject personal minimalist preferences with expectations that users should just adapt to a new, fresh way of doing things just because.

https://medium.com/initialcommit/we-have-failed-604df0e1d3d4

http://cheerfulsw.com/2015/destroying-apples-legacy/


“UI design is not art. It’s the opposite of art: it’s design to perform a function. To serve users.

It can still look great, but not at the expense of actually working.”

So true!

 

[I7guy]

I agree, I fear. I don’t see Apple reneging their communist rule over hardware and opening the doors to capitalism anytime soon. Funny how I valued their closed ecosystem method when they were run by leadership who valued a balanced user-experience and after 2013 it’s bitten me in the rear, where it’s been nothing but increasingly bitter-cold winters with stores selling only White bread and Translucent water served on Flat plates.

I’m the opposite. I started becoming a potential consumer of some after Tim Cook took the helm. I didn’t like their products prior to about 2013 because I couldn’t reconcile the value equation of that eras management. I thought that era was selling ice to the Eskimo’s. Anyway we have different views, wants and needs and it reflects in our posts.

We both should do what is best for us.

 

[Tozovac]

I’m the opposite. I started becoming a potential consumer of some after Tim Cook took the helm. I didn’t like their products prior to about 2013 because I couldn’t reconcile the value equation of that eras management. I thought that era was selling ice to the Eskimo’s. Anyway we have different views, wants and needs and it reflects in our posts.

We both should do what is best for us.

You’re right in your 2nd paragraph!

For the first - could you please explain further?

 

[tkermit]

http://cheerfulsw.com/2015/destroying-apples-legacy/

What still gets me about all of this is that the smart guys at Apple obviously had to have been aware that they were breaking all these rules, yet went ahead and did it anyway. They weren't clueless but must have actively gone against their own instincts. Why? I mean, their previous designs didn't come about by accident – they didn't stumble upon well-designed UIs by sheer luck and only this time it didn't work out. Really don't get it.

these mistakes are especially galling because they’re exactly the kind of thing that Apple themselves used to rail against.

 

[truthertech]

Since Apple thinks they invented the rectangle, I am betting they will stick with that shape. Though a deviation from the iphone 6 would we welcome.

Any comments on the 9 year old iMac design?
[doublepost=1513018472][/doublepost]

Sure, let me refer you back to the rectangle. I know it's a meme on the Internet that Apple needs to "redesign" a phone, but in reality that has never happened in the sense that folks want, i.e., if you compare the very first phone to current ones, they are basically the same design. Indeed, every smart phone from every manufacturer has been and is essentially the same design: a flat, rectangular smooth slab, and the major design changes are in the home screen, ala "the notch."

Yes, Apple has perfected the rectangle more than anyone, but unless Apple and others abandon the efficiency of a rectangle for displaying information, the "redesign" you pine for won't exist in the real world of cell phones. Ditto with the iMac. While there is more room to tinker, now that technology has allowed the iMac to essentially become a large monitor, you're not going to get a lot of external changes from the efficiency of a large rectangle, and folks want maximized screen space, not superfluous things that enable more design variations by reducing display area. There's a reason every monitor uses the same shape, i.e., rectangles with as small of bezels as possible, and you aren't going to see triangle shaped ones.

All that said, to throw a bone to those who can't stop lamenting the lack of redesigned smart phones, there's a three person start up that is trying to fulfill your wish for a circular smart phone.

https://www.wired.com/2015/03/looking-outside-rectangle-breakthrough-gadget/

 

[amegicfox]

oh noooo....less ports, less expandability, less battery, less power, more dongles, more thinness

more skinny fonts on white background, more invisible buttons over text

 

[dv8r]

And what do you think the notch is? Plastic? Metal? Rubber?

I’m not sure if You understand what I wrote or trying to be vague about this. Just a piece of glass would be just that, no obtrusive design elements - looking at Jony Ive it seems to be the design language he prefers. Both Ive and Apple have a tendency go go into extreme detail, look at the small screws at the bottom of the iPhone - and now, with the iPhone X, we have this ugly blob at the top/in one side. Not because it’s a design element, but because it’s what Apple can do with the technology available to them. And that’s fine, if people would admit that the notch is a compromise.

 

[Michael Goff]

I’m not sure if You understand what I wrote or trying to be vague about this. Just a piece of glass would be just that, no obtrusive design elements - looking at Jony Ive it seems to be the design language he prefers. Both Ive and Apple have a tendency go go into extreme detail, look at the small screws at the bottom of the iPhone - and now, with the iPhone X, we have this ugly blob at the top/in one side. Not because it’s a design element, but because it’s what Apple can do with the technology available to them. And that’s fine, if people would admit that the notch is a compromise.

I think the notch was a conscious decision. I don’t think it’d be good idea to ever put the camera under the glass.