Apple's Designers Clashing Over 'Tacky' Software Skeuomorphisms

[Anuba]

Can we count on Windows 8 to change its design every year to stay current, or will we look at Windows in 2017 and say "Oh, Tiles. How 2012"?

The crystal ball is kinda foggy since M$ is trying something new (for them): They're not following UI trends that Apple are setting, they're going completely the other way. Only time will tell how committed they are to Metro... but they did revamp their logo for the first time since 1987 and it looks like Metro tiles, so I doubt that they'll be backing off from this whole square-simple-streamlined style next year in favor of a skeumorphic UI where you start Windows with a virtual crank.

 

[Steeley]

I agree the calendar app is ugly. I'm 29 and I haven't once seen a real life desk calendar, and I bet a lot of younger people haven't either. If they want to represent what people use in real life, fine, but don't use redundant things to copy. I guess in this case they had two options for skeuomorphic design for the calendar though - a desk calendar or Microsoft Outlook - and couldn't use the latter.

 

[pimentoLoaf]

Never thought I'd see the words "visual masturbation" on MacRumors.

Then again...

We've been on the web a long, long, time. Just think what the next few years will allow in the forums.

 

[chaosconan]

That paper shredder thing really bothers me. I don't want to have to wait an extra second to see a silly animation.

Other things that are more practical I can deal with.

How about a high-speed paper shredder that does it in milliseconds

 

[Arelunde]

If you want Plain Jane graphics, go to Android... or, even worse IMO, Windows mobile. Talk about ugly! Primary colors, square shapes.

One of the greatest strengths of Apple products and operating systems has been the intense attention to graphic detail. I can't believe a company as vast with talent would toss operating capabilities in favor of graphic design - no matter what. Quality in every aspect seems to be the Apple strength. I, for one, hope Apple "stays the course" in its use of creative graphics.

Suggestion: Perhaps a selection of skins for various apps might be appropriate - then everyone could either choose the one they like OR possibly create their own. Or, better yet, open skin design to developers in the App Store.

 

[Thex1138]

But the customers who buy iPhones, iPads and iPods love it!

 

[Renzatic]

That particular shot was extra nasty because of the tulip background and the red(!) taskbar, which called for extra chunky vomit. What's so bad about it apart from that? Well... I stuck with Windows from 1992 until 2009 when OS X became my main platform (still use Win in Bootcamp for the 'paperwork' aspects of running a one man company), and I always wanted to beat the Windows UI designers to a bloody pulp. I always had to skin and tweak the hell out of the desktop... with 95/98/2K/XP, obviously, but with Vista and Win7 as well though they weren't quite as tweakable. They showed promise, but in the end the job of picking stuff like color scheme, logon screen bg, default wallpaper etc was left to some 9 year old girl who loves flowers.

I agree that OSX does look better than Windows, and MS does have the tendency to choose the most godawful colors to advertise their desktop, but comeon. I think you're slathering the hyperbole on a little too thickly here.

DOS may not be part of the NT lineage but it's still there in spirit... I'm reminded every time Win7 boots and the cursor blinks a couple of times before the boot animation kicks in. Or when I get the safe mode prompt after a freeze.

Windows 8 should thrill you then. It's the first of the line to support UEFI as the default, so you'll never see any blinking cursors or white text on black backgrounds. Even the special boot options menu is presented in a more straightforward Metro style.

 

[MartiNZ]

Have you tried to use Windows 8 on a desktop computer? I was unhappy when Apple came out with Lion and the obvious attempts to dumb down the system to the level of IOS on the iPhone and iPad. I would much rather they develop a separate system for IOS and leave the desktop/laptop system the same. I know it complicates things to have to develop two systems but it sure works a lot better. What Microsoft has done with Windows 8 makes Apple's attempts to make the the desktop system behave more like the iPhone/iPad looks small time.

Using it on a laptop without touch capability, it is pretty nice. I like how metro (for want of a better name) and the desktop interact; snapping works well with the apps for which it is intended, and I can see the windows store ecosystem really working nicely making metro popular, given that it seems they will be trying to ditch the desktop by windows 10 or w/e.

I was also annoyed with Lion / Mountain Lion and the GUIs as being discussed in this thread - I guess it works in Windows 8 because there's a bigger differentiation; metro can be used more like Dashboard, say, than a built-in app interface ... plus of course metro is really more completely the opposite of Lion's trajectory, as it said in the OP. It will be very interesting to see where this all leads.

 

[ixodes]

It's all personal preference, but Apple sure has some odd ideas.

 

[Rizzm]

How about a high-speed paper shredder that does it in milliseconds

Well then I suppose it just looks silly. Let's stick with a nice genie effect into the trash can.

 

[smarch]

is visual masturbation a bad thing?

exactly.

 

[PeterQVenkman]

I wouldn't really call those good thoughts. That is not at all how iBooks works. You don't have to do a full screen swipe to turn pages, you can just tap once. It takes all of half a second to turn the page as well not two seconds. I think the best argument against this stuff is to just say that most of the time it's ugly.

In the linked article he addresses that and specifically says he isn't talking about iBooks, but you'd have to go read the whole entry.

 

[scottsjack]

Wow, everyone wants to weigh in on this important topic. Sure the fake leather is fugly and un-Apple-like but mine always manage to turn into aluminum the moment they're discovered reverting back to orange.

And the tacky graphics aren't near as important as glued-in batteries, non-replaceable RAM, non-replaceable storage and insufficient GPUs.

 

[mtvfyrfytr]

If you want Plain Jane graphics, go to Android... or, even worse IMO, Windows mobile. Talk about ugly! Primary colors, square shapes.

One of the greatest strengths of Apple products and operating systems has been the intense attention to graphic detail. I can't believe a company as vast with talent would toss operating capabilities in favor of graphic design - no matter what. Quality in every aspect seems to be the Apple strength. I, for one, hope Apple "stays the course" in its use of creative graphics.

Suggestion: Perhaps a selection of skins for various apps might be appropriate - then everyone could either choose the one they like OR possibly create their own. Or, better yet, open skin design to developers in the App Store.

Thinking the same thing. Your suggestion of having a selection of skins would make everyone happy.

 

[pbrooks]

There is probably NOTHING worse than the iTunes for iPad UI...NOTHING.

+1. I can't believe it took several pages of posts before iTune for iPad was mentioned. Worst. Interface. Ever.

 

[AngerDanger]

I find the touches whimsical as well especially since they are done really well. You have to execute the idea with skill or it will come off as tacky.

As for pointing to Windows 8 as something good? Are you kidding me? They ripped off a bunch of websites like United Colors of Benetton and swiss traffic signs.

Their use traffic symbols from Switzerland's highways makes even less sense.

The colours used in Windows 8 make me want to barf.

OS X has a long history of skeuomorphism in the toolbar icons. As long as you design the elements well then I don't see a problem. MSFT is really bad at the concept as witnessed in their Microsoft Bob product.

I completely agree. I love how Apple's skeuomorphic designs are called irrelevant, yet the Windows 8 Metro UI is given praise. How are street signs more relevant than, say, a calendar or billiard table?

 

[31rhcp]

I side with Jony Ive on this one. But is it really so hard to offer two different options, one skeuomorphic, one minimalist. It could be implemented exactly like the blue and graphite appearances are for menus, buttons and windows.

May not be the most "Apple" way of doing things (giving choice), but it satisfies everyone.

 

[The Phazer]

Thinking the same thing. Your suggestion of having a selection of skins would make everyone happy.

Except for the fact that making the animations Apple smooth is virtually impossible with contradictory design elements going into the UI.

 

[Logonmac]

What drives me nuts is changing from month to month in iCal. If forces me to wait for the page to turn. Really annoying when trying to go three months down the road quickly.

Command Left/Right arrow can do the trick.

 

[Anuba]

I agree that OSX does look better than Windows, and MS does have the tendency to choose the most godawful colors to advertise their desktop, but comeon. I think you're slathering the hyperbole on a little too thickly here.

Well it's subjective of course, but IMO, Win7 managed to look worse than Vista. Vista was way too colorful and they went overboard with the effects, but at least the artwork was abstract... then in Win7 they went with flowers and butterflies. I don't think it's hyperbole to associate that with 9 year old girls... I don't think any middle aged men would put that on top of their wishlist for welcome screen illustrations.

Windows 8 should thrill you then. It's the first of the line to support UEFI as the default, so you'll never see any blinking cursors or white text on black backgrounds. Even the special boot options menu is presented in a more straightforward Metro style.

I love it already, but does the release preview run on Bootcamp?

 

[albusseverus]

The Podcast app suffers from this too. Bleh.

Podcast is a shocking example of an app that just doesn't work - from buggy to stupid (downloading the next podcast once you've finished listening to this one). It needs to be re-thought from the ground up, but the tape reels can show you how far through a podcast you are… simple progress bar not good enough anymore?

It appears the complainant may have a case - too much flourish, not enough substance.

Personally, I'd rather all that effort went into making iMessage work. That's shameful, in the league of "Somebody tell me what MobileMe is supposed to do, again?" shameful.

I don't have an issue with Calendar, etc. being outdated/irrelevant, although they do look stupid to me, violating Apple's sacred rule that content is to be emphasised, rather than the interface. On one hand, death to coloured icons in iTunes and Finder, and on the other, leather stitching. It's almost as if Steve had a few favourite apps and he wanted them to 'look nice' because he had them open all day.

OS X windows have become increasingly bland, and that's too far NeXTSTEP for me, but leather stitching is waaaaay too far the other direction.

As for Microsoft having criticisms of Apple's skeuomorphisms, er… Metro is a nice try, guys, but don't get carried away. Words running off the screen are even less useful than stitched leather.

 

[chaosconan]

Honestly, whats wrong with the current version of Podcasts UI? I think its great. I just don't like the way you navigation through selections under Top Stations.

 

[Swampthing]

Always cracks me up when so-called intellectuals misuse "masturbation" without understanding the true definition of the word. To keep this forum family friendly, I'll just link to it below:

http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/masturbation

There is NO alternate definition, and many people, attempting to sound educated, frequently get this wrong. They end up sounding like Damon Wayans prison character from "In Living Color" using random sexual words completely out of context.

 

[kiljoy616]

I SO HATE ICAL LOOK!

May Apple get its act together and make sense of the interface again.

Starting with quicktime black invisible frame I so hate, good reason its gone and VLC runs my video.

 

[Piggie]

I thought this fake leather and sticking looked on on the iPad as it was that type of device, but I must say it's not a look I'd like to see now on a desktop machine. Esp not in business. It should be clean and functional. Does not mean boring, but we don't need wood grain, polished metal, stitched leather, all that kind of thing now, on a BIG screen.