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Does Jonny Ive really understand interface design?

Going from ios6 to ios7 is like going from windows 7 to windows 8 - flat design, thin fonts, colorful icons, minimalist.

And we all know how much everyone loves windows 8 :rolleyes:
 
minimo3 said:
Going from ios6 to ios7 is like going from windows 7 to windows 8 - flat design, thin fonts, colorful icons, minimalist.

And we all know how much everyone loves windows 8 :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

iOS 7 is nothing like Windows 8. Windows as always been flat other than some poor glass bar appearance implementation since Vista. iOS 7 has many layers and textures, some work well and some need refinement but does not resemble the basic look of Windows.

Font size again have little resemblance, Apples is again more stylised and though thin looks nice and perfectly eligible if you can read.

Windows has a very basic colour pallet, iOS 7 uses many colours often fading patterns and designs giving colourful and eye catching designs.

Minimalist your argument falls flattest on if you'll forgive the pun. Windows is very complicated with users having to access a lot of windows and type key words to find the simplest of functions.

The overall problem with your argument is taking a ill conceived, un-reliable and damn right impractical desktop OS that despite its large tile appearance was never designed to be used by a mobile or touch screen device and comparing it to the market leading mobile OS for usability and simplicity. Something Android owners often use to ridicule iOS users but the ability to actually use a device is very important I would say.
 
Gutwrench said:
Does Johny really understand interface design? Probably exponentially better than anyone here ....
Click to expand...

I hope these are not part of your proof.
Mrs. Greenley would be happy to know that the clip art she found for the church newsletter is being used by Apple too!
FuglyIcons_zpsecffc9d0.jpeg
 
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DomC said:
I hope these are not part of your proof.
Mrs. Greenley would be happy to know that the clip art she found for the church newsletter is being used by Apple too!
Image
Click to expand...

what is your point ?

I think they personally look really nice like most of the new iOS 7 icons. the colours especially are gorgeous.
 
Gutwrench said:
Does Johny really understand interface design? Probably exponentially better than anyone here as well as he probably better understands the management of pulling the parts together to roll out such a change.

I'm guessing Johny might struggle in pulling off some of our jobs but doubt there's anyone in this community who could handle his position.
Click to expand...
Seems like the marketing department was able to handle a good part of the job.
 
KALLT said:
I think a lot of people don't appreciate the importance of icons enough. Icons are the apps' faces, their metaphor. We identify apps with their icons and we are drawn to them when they are good. It goes beyond the home screen, they are everywhere on iOS: notifications, settings, the App Store and the app switcher. For that reason, icons should ideally meet two criteria: distinctiveness and descriptiveness.

They should be distinctive enough to make app identification as easy as possible. When I receive a notification, I immediately recognise and respond to the icon. On the home screen, my brain memorises the location of apps on the basis of their icon. You can notice the difference when you relocate an app. You get used to the new location much easier if it's a distinctive icon than if it's a generic one, like a folder. Eventually you get used to a new position, but it happens much quicker with a unique icon. That's the human brain.

Icons should also be descriptive. When I am browsing the App Store, then the icon can often tell a lot about the app. Not just about what it does, but perhaps also whether it is well-designed or not. For new users or users who barely use their devices, descriptive icons can be very helpful. An icon depicting a calendar or envelope can hardly be misunderstood. An icon with coloured bubbles is meaningless (Game Centre).

My problem with the flat style of iOS 7 is that icons are less distinctive and often also less descriptive, or not descriptive at all. Many icons now have two-colour gradients, often the same colours, and a simple, white image. They may look good, but they are less distinctive than their predecessors. Many of them are also not descriptive (anymore). That may be less of a problem with Apple's apps, but third-party developers are following the lead, as users start to experience a certain aversion for everything that is not flat. We end up with lots of simplistic icons and while it may fit some people's tastes, they are less functional than they used to be. For me, that is a step backwards, and even worse, an unnecessary one.
Click to expand...

I know that sometimes I look at my app icons, and I'm confused. I can't tell which is which, and I have to post a thread on here asking me how I can use my iPhone again.
 
Drunken Master said:
I know that sometimes I look at my app icons, and I'm confused. I can't tell which is which, and I have to post a thread on here asking me how I can use my iPhone again.
Click to expand...

And the award for being overly dramatic goes to.....

Seriously there is nothing so wrong people need get so worked up about.
 
DomC said:
I hope these are not part of your proof.
Mrs. Greenley would be happy to know that the clip art she found for the church newsletter is being used by Apple too!
Image
Click to expand...

I still can NOT see Jony's creative genius, either. Am I blind, tasteless etc ??!
 
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Nevaborn said:
iOS 7 is nothing like Windows 8. Windows as always been flat other than some poor glass bar appearance implementation since Vista. iOS 7 has many layers and textures, some work well and some need refinement but does not resemble the basic look of Windows.

Font size again have little resemblance, Apples is again more stylised and though thin looks nice and perfectly eligible if you can read.

Windows has a very basic colour pallet, iOS 7 uses many colours often fading patterns and designs giving colourful and eye catching designs.

Minimalist your argument falls flattest on if you'll forgive the pun. Windows is very complicated with users having to access a lot of windows and type key words to find the simplest of functions.

The overall problem with your argument is taking a ill conceived, un-reliable and damn right impractical desktop OS that despite its large tile appearance was never designed to be used by a mobile or touch screen device and comparing it to the market leading mobile OS for usability and simplicity. Something Android owners often use to ridicule iOS users but the ability to actually use a device is very important I would say.
Click to expand...

This is not flat:

win2000advserv.png
 
Ive claims to be a big fan of Dieter Rams, so my hopes for iOS7 were peeked. Well, I'm very disappointed.
 
minimo3 said:
Going from ios6 to ios7 is like going from windows 7 to windows 8 - flat design, thin fonts, colorful icons, minimalist.

And we all know how much everyone loves windows 8 :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

But the way people interact with their iOS:7 device is no different from iOS:6 unlike Windows 7 to Windows 8.
 
Paddle1 said:
This is not flat:

Image
Click to expand...

Im actually impressed you thought that was a good example to support your point. Granted theres a little bit of depth to that but are you seriously suggesting as to your original argument that this is better than iOS 7 ? If so your insane.
 
P1otr said:
I still can NOT see Jony's creative genius, either. Am I blind, tasteless etc ??!
Click to expand...

He is a creative genius by my tastes but not to yours and thats fine. Problem is you cant have a design everyone enjoys. I hates the old one but tolerated it and just used my phone.
 
I do like the look of iOS 7 but it doesn't look like an Apple OS. It looks like a bizarre mashup of what the competition is doing. iOS 7 lacks an identity and consistency.

But for me, its never been about how an OS looks. Just what it does.
 
j4zb4 said:
Or food... Considering that's the most clicks item... Hehe
Click to expand...

It's the 21st century. I've dated a girl who had a bad habit of.... Instagramming her restaurant food. :p

So now it makes perfect sense: the Photos icon should be represented by a pork chop.

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Drunken Master said:
I know that sometimes I look at my app icons, and I'm confused. I can't tell which is which, and I have to post a thread on here asking me how I can use my iPhone again.
Click to expand...

Maybe you shouldn't be drunk when you're using your iPhone.
 
Wiesenlooser said:
The icons are probably the most criticized thing about iOS 7. I'm not talking about the plain ugliness of the safari icon. But about the whole concept of what an icon is and what it is supposed to do. To me it's about to give you necessary informations about which app it is on the very slightest glance.
Click to expand...

Icons are symbols; they are abstract representations. A "sunflower" doesn't tell you it's photos either, right? Did the old Safari icon tell you anything about the app, other than your familiarity with it?

Do you need your icons to be literal? If so, what should the "photos" icon be-- should it be a small image of a photograph? But wait, that's too skeuomorphic. Maybe it should just be a tiny image of the app itself?

Should Safari's icon just have a bunch of HTML instead of the compass?

Since abstract symbols don't tell you anything about the apps, I supposed the funny shapes right under the icon don't help either.... I'm talking about the 6 tiny shapes, the first one looks kind of like a roundish flag, followed by a small chair, then a tiny circle, a telephone pole with a hook on the bottom, then another small circle, then a weird squiggle... what in the world does all that mean?

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Drunken Master said:
I know that sometimes I look at my app icons, and I'm confused. I can't tell which is which, and I have to post a thread on here asking me how I can use my iPhone again.
Click to expand...

Tell me about it! I am completely lost trying to find my "Mail" icon because it no longer has puffy white clouds behind the envelope. Every time I unlock my screen I just curl up into a fetal position under my desk and cry at the cruelty of the universe.
 
Solomani said:
It's the 21st century. I've dated a girl who had a bad habit of.... Instagramming her restaurant food. :p

So now it makes perfect sense: the Photos icon should be represented by a pork chop.

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Maybe you shouldn't be drunk when you're using your iPhone.
Click to expand...

Hahaha... Instagramming is exactly what I'm talking about... ##
 
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