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Shadows create a better illusion of depth than parallax

Gogurt48

Gogurt48

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jun 17, 2013
663
1
I ran across this image:

ios6_ios7_home_screens.jpg


Seeing them side-by-side, I was surprised how sharp and 3D iOS 6 looked compared to iOS 7. The subtle shadows behind the icons and their captions in iOS 6 really make them jump off the screen, whereas in iOS 7 they blend in and look flat.

Now, you may object that this is hardly a fair comparison because in the static iOS 7 image you can't see the parallax effect. But in my experience (been using iOS 7 since beta 1), the parallax effect is subtle at best. (I once turned it off and forgot I had done so. I didn't notice it wasn't there). In actual use, none of stands there wiggling our phones back and forth. We hold them still, in which case, there's no parallax effect to see.

I've said before that I like iOS 7 better than iOS 6, and I do. But I think there are a few areas where they've taken a step backward, and I think this is one. I'd like it if they put back the shadows they had in iOS 6.
 
I think I need to apologize if by chance I said iOS was looking stale, pre-iOS 7. I am doing my best to try to like iOS 7 but looking at the pic on the left... I want to run back to iOS 6.

Time will tell...



Michael
 
The parallax effect is supposed to convey that everything is layered, "depth" was a poor choice of wording on apple's end.
 
Tinmania said:
I think I need to apologize if by chance I said iOS was looking stale, pre-iOS 7. I am doing my best to try to like iOS 7 but looking at the pic on the left... I want to run back to iOS 6.
Click to expand...

I could never go back to iOS 6 because I like the way iOS 7 works and the features it has, but visually . . .

Comparing those pictures, it seems to me that iOS 7 needs three things to make it great visually:

1) better icons. Not necessarily all glossy and skeuomorphic, just better "flat" icons.

2) Shadows behind those icons and their captions.

3) a better dock. Either a more translucent blur, or maybe a subtle tint.

----------
NT1440 said:
The parallax effect is supposed to convey that everything is layered, "depth" was a poor choice of wording on apple's end.
Click to expand...

For some reason -- and maybe this is a beta thing -- the parallax effect seems much more pronounced when wiggling the phone up and down than it does when wiggling it side to side.

Either way, though, the only time I really notice the parallax effect is when I deliberately wiggle the phone so I can see it. In normal use I don't notice it at all.
 
Gogurt48 said:
I could never go back to iOS 6 because I like the way iOS 7 works and the features it has, but visually . . .

Comparing those pictures, it seems to me that iOS 7 needs three things to make it great visually:

1) better icons. Not necessarily all glossy and skeuomorphic, just better "flat" icons.

2) Shadows behind those icons and their captions.

3) a better dock. Either a more translucent blur, or maybe a subtle tint.
Click to expand...
I don't know who was asking for flat in the first place.

I don't have to worry about going back to iOS 6 because the last thing I have on iOS that I personally use is my iPad. I was considering going back to the iPhone after a year with Android but iOS 7 is making that seem less likely. Yes it has a few new bells and whistles, which I already have and more on Android, but at the expense of horrid visual appeal IMO. Without a jailbreak that is what I would/will be stuck with.



Michael
 
You have to remember though that iOS 7 was made for retina display devices, and therefore when viewing it on a regular computer display it looks very different. For e.g. when viewed on the iPad 2, iOS 7 looks awful.

However I do agree with you on shadows - it's weird that Apple used shadows behind the icons in the iOS 7 previews on-site, yet have not used shadows in any of the betas.
 
Osullivan1 said:
However I do agree with you on shadows - it's weird that Apple used shadows behind the icons in the iOS 7 previews on-site, yet have not used shadows in any of the betas.
Click to expand...

I guess we can hope it'll be in the GM then. That would be nice.
 
Gogurt48 said:
I ran across this image:

Image

Seeing them side-by-side, I was surprised how sharp and 3D iOS 6 looked compared to iOS 7. The subtle shadows behind the icons and their captions in iOS 6 really make them jump off the screen, whereas in iOS 7 they blend in and look flat.

Now, you may object that this is hardly a fair comparison because in the static iOS 7 image you can't see the parallax effect. But in my experience (been using iOS 7 since beta 1), the parallax effect is subtle at best. (I once turned it off and forgot I had done so. I didn't notice it wasn't there). In actual use, none of stands there wiggling our phones back and forth. We hold them still, in which case, there's no parallax effect to see.

I've said before that I like iOS 7 better than iOS 6, and I do. But I think there are a few areas where they've taken a step backward, and I think this is one. I'd like it if they put back the shadows they had in iOS 6.
Click to expand...

While I prefer the look of iOS 6 to 7, this side by side comparison is useless since obviously the parallax effect cannot be demonstrate in a static 2d photo.
 
Gogurt48 said:
whereas in iOS 7 they blend in and look flat.
Click to expand...
Isn't that their design goal? A flatter look?

Forgetting the fact that a picture really doesnt convey the parallax effect (I find that it really shows "depth" much more with some backgrounds than with others), I think it would would be a much better comparison if the background pictures were the same, or even similar.I find that space background is kind of busy (I like cleaner & simpler backgrounds) and that is making it hard for me to compare these.

Two other points:
1) I do 100% agree that a translucent dock (and folders) would be better
2) Most of the examples shown on this site as examples just show actual apps. On my phone most are folders with apps inside. I think the folders pop a lot more than an individual icon.
 
Gogurt48 said:
I've said before that I like iOS 7 better than iOS 6, and I do. But I think there are a few areas where they've taken a step backward, and I think this is one. I'd like it if they put back the shadows they had in iOS 6.
Click to expand...

I agree. Some of the letters get lost.
 
The biggest problem I have with the left photo (iOS 6) is that each individual icon is screaming for attention (in your comparison pic, on iOS 7 my eye goes more toward the background photo). ...This is a lame comparison...the iOS 7 look is interactive across the whole UI, not just the home screen, the way translucency works within apps and such, much more interactive, layered, based on the background photo, not how hot an app's icon looks:rolleyes:...whereas iOS 7 has a much more fluid look and feel to it overall. It's a major design achievement and I'm happy with it. :D

Your comparison photo does not give anyone that hasn't used iOS 7 a real feel for it.

That's my short version. :p


Try this photo for your background photo:
m31abtpmoon.jpg
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/1308/m31abtpmoon.jpg

----------
Tammster said:
...1) I do 100% agree that a translucent dock (and folders) would be better...
Click to expand...
you mean transparent, no blur? I agree!

New YouTube app:

IMG_2403_zpsb4e3fa97.png

IMG_2404_zpsa74d35db.png

(the numbers are easier to read on my iphone 5 than this enlarged pic)

That's how it should be done...white or dark bars, either way, no blur...at least with the dock and most places...sometimes a little blur is ok, though.
 
Drop shadows makes the wallpaper look like a 2d surface instead of a 3d space. I think the point of using parallx and no shadows is to make it look like the icons are floating.
 
LOL, looking at those pictures OP posted I feel I'm looking at an early alpha and the finished product. The early alpha being iOS 7 and the finished product iOS 6... A perfect example that comes to my mind were the alpha screenshots of Warcraft 3 back in 2002 when compared to the final release... iOS 7 is such a step backwards...
 
kmj2318 said:
Drop shadows makes the wallpaper look like a 2d surface instead of a 3d space. I think the point of using parallx and no shadows is to make it look like the icons are floating.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that's the theory. In actual use, though, we tend to hold our phones still, in which case there is no parallax effect and the icons don't look like they're floating.
 
Parallax and moving shadows would really give the effect of layers and depth. Of course I have no idea how hard that would be to code or how much of a performance hit it would cause.
 
One thing I really do miss is the shadows from iOS 6. Shadows really helped by adding a subconscious increase increase in contrast between elements. iOS 7 doesn't have any shadows, and as a result it makes my eyes itch.

The parallax effect in iOS 7 is rubbish. It's not noticeable AT ALL unless you're bored on the train and start purposefully wobbling your phone about, and even then it's a clunky effect that doesn't really achieve much. I mean - I understand that the effect has to be subtle, but at the moment it's so subtle as to be unnoticeable!

I've actually turned the parallax effect off on my iPhone (in a probably misguided attempt to increase battery life) and I notice no change in the feel of the UI under normal usage.
 
I agree with your post, but I actually think the iOS 6 looks boring compared to iOS 7..Ive tried going back to it many times but I always came back to iOS 7 beta! I can never go back now. I love the parallax feature and live wallpapers. It also brightens up my white iPhone :)

Hopefully they will add some shadowing in the GM!
 
The comparison of static images is pointless. iOS 6 looks the same as the static image but iOS 7 does not as it constantly moves as you move the phone in your hand.
 
in 2d photos side my side sure ios6 seems like it has just the same depth as ios7.

side by side in real life it's a whole different story. and i have had multiple devices running both os at the same time.
 
ErikGrim said:
I'll take real depth versus faked depth any day thank you very much.
Click to expand...
Um, all of these are faked depth.



You know, I actually really like the new Game Center app icon and I think I know why. While the background square is flat that graphic part of it is not, and it really makes that icon stand out. I'd like to see more of that.
 
I agree that iOS 7 looks much better with the shadows. Hoping they return by final release.

The thing that stands out the most for me is those horrid signal dots. Still can't figure out what they were thinking with that.
 
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