Some design elements of iOS7 UI a unified contradiction

[oplix]

I've installed iOS 7 GM today and been very happy and impressed so far. However I'm starting to notice extremely annoying elements of the one minded minimalist approach that Jony Ive has produced.

In fact in design terms these ideas aren't progressive at all. They are a regressive approach in fact and make no sense.

One example is the dial pad, something that's at the heart of the iPHONE (a PHONE primarily). In all previous versions of iOS, when you made a mistake dialing a number, the delete button was not only accessible in terms of positioning on the UI but also big enough to be easily pressed and noticeable.

This takes a step backwards in iOS 7 where now it's so small and out of the way that it makes it a nuisance to use.

Another example is the extreme minimization of other UI elements such as the delete button in the camera/phone app. I don't have giant hands by any means but I found that it's so close to the edge of the corner and has been smooshed as much as possible that it makes misclicks quite common.

It's very strange to me that Jony Ive comes out as this knight in shining armor in his genius design re imagining of iOS yet fails to hit the mark on the small details.

 

[Purant]

Yeah, that delete button on the phone keypad is quite a bit silly. I also had to use it today and it wasn't great.

I view iOS 7 as a work in progress. I don't think it's done yet. iOS 6 had a lot of refinement because the GUI was more or less the same, refined over a lot of years. iOS 7 is new. Some things are hit and miss.

EDIT: And before someone accuses me of whining or whatever, I like iOS 7. I just view it as a work in progress.

 

[fullauto]

Navigation elements can be confusing. I know a lot is undoing what we've grown to know and use up to iOS 6 - but some of it really isn't 'friendly'.

BUT - it's a good base to start on for the next few years.

 

[PNutts]

Agreed. Trash can icon in different corners depending on what app you're in, little icons, lots of words to read, no visual clues in places. A hot mess.

 

[Blue Sun]

I'm loving iOS 7, it is a massive improvement over iOS 6.

There are, however, a few things that should be changed, IMO. First is the messages app. There is too much white. The background is white, and a lot of the text is white too. Apple either need to change the background to grey, or make ALL of the text black - it is far too hard on the eyes as it is (coming from a 20 something adult with near perfect vision).

The second is very minor, but will annoy many. When pressing the home button or sleep/wake button when the screen is off, there is a "fade-in" animation, where the screen slowly comes to life. This is already starting to annoy me, as waking the phone from sleep happens countless times a day. Apple either need to speed up the "fade-in" animation, or have the instant on effect like in iOS 6.

Other than that, iOS 7 is damn near perfect (to me at least).

 

[GreyOS]

I found it a shame they didn't try to make button placement consistent. It's different all over the places

One clear example: Mail's home screen. Edit top right, new email bottom right. But in messages it's Edit top left, new message top right.

Now I don't know the full evolution of iOS, maybe it was natural that they ended up there over time. But with the new UI in iOS 7, it seems bizarre to have left weird things like that...

*shrug*

 

[Purant]

The second is very minor, but will annoy many. When pressing the home button or sleep/wake button when the screen is off, there is a "fade-in" animation, where the screen slowly comes to life. This is already starting to annoy me, as waking the phone from sleep happens countless times a day. Apple either need to speed up the "fade-in" animation, or have the instant on effect like in iOS 6.

Yup, it's a little annoying. I'm usually about to press the home button again, on reflex, because I think it didn't register the first time, because I'm used to my phone reacting instantly when I try to wake it up.

 

[Dulcimer]

Just to be clear, Ive didn't sit down and choose where to place specific elements on the screen. He's not a user interface expert. As far as I understand, he was simply a spiritual guide as to the overall look and minimalism of the UI.

 

[rrghjsisus]

I agree. There is a lot of clutter and definitely agree about the phone delete button

 

[C DM]

Yup, it's a little annoying. I'm usually about to press the home button again, on reflex, because I think it didn't register the first time, because I'm used to my phone reacting instantly when I try to wake it up.

Too much fading and longer animations simply for eye-candy type of purposes but all comes at the price of decreased responsiveness of the phone unfortunately (which should really be more important than eye-candy).

 

[betabeta]

The delete button placement on the keypad is crazy, it was perfect before and now it's just annoying in the current location. I just can't see how everyone testing this at Apple wouldn't have noticed this, maybe they never use the keypad to type in phone numbers, or never make mistakes.

I like the new OS, but there are way too many things like this, for a new OS it should have gotten better and more unified, I think the UI got cleaner or "pretty" but less unified and user friendly. I find myself reaching more.

 

[KALLT]

I have to agree with the thread starter. Some parts of the UI have not been entirely thought through and there is a lack of consistency.

Particularly buttons are my concern. Sometimes there is text, sometimes there are icons, sometimes there are actual buttons. The keypad tab of the phone app is a good example. The keys and call buttons are the most obvious and intuitive. Then you have the delete icon in the top right corner which does not look like a button and is comparatively small. The worst is the add-to-contacts button which is just text and awkwardly misplaced, crammed under the phone number and more difficult to tap on. Also on the contacts tab, there can be two icons behind a phone number (for texting and calling), but the entire line with the phone number is a button too. I was not sure whether I could tap on those icons too (you can). It might as well been an iMessage indicator. This is simply confusing design and could have been easily avoided. iOS 6 did it too after all.

The most obvious flaws are with the music app though. Some tabs have too many big images, leading to endless scrolling, and cut-off text, reducing the amount if information you get (in the worst case just one or two words). This could have been made more elegant. Then there is the now-playing screen where the repeat, create and shuffle buttons do not make it obvious whether they are enabled or not and what they specifically do. The create button, for example, does not create a new playlist, but only a genius playlist. Why? It makes no sense to me. Similarly, you can shuffle all songs in the song tab, but not in the genre tab. Why not? The inconsistency is just stunning at times.

Additionally, the text on the home screen can be difficult to read depending on the wallpaper. The thin and nearly shadowless text leads to problems. I had to try several photos to see which one would work best, and it does matter. That nobody noticed this at Apple, is just poor. iOS 6 used to add a noticeable shadow to create contrast, iOS 7 uses one too but it hardly serves its purpose.

 

[Tammster]

One example is the dial pad, something that's at the heart of the iPHONE (a PHONE primarily). In all previous versions of iOS, when you made a mistake dialing a number, the delete button was not only accessible in terms of positioning on the UI but also big enough to be easily pressed and noticeable.

This takes a step backwards in iOS 7 where now it's so small and out of the way that it makes it a nuisance to use.

Interesting, I didn't notice this. It is pretty small but it actually is now more consistent with other areas of the software (safari for example).

 

[KALLT]

It is pretty small but it actually is now more consistent with other areas of the software (safari for example).

In what way is it more consistent?

 

[j4zb4]

It needs quite a bit of refinement, yes... But, I guess it'll come over time... It's been less than a year that they've been workin on it... And I'm glad they've got the big things and most things right...

Ios6 had over 6 years of refinement behind it...

 

[Tammster]

In what way is it more consistent?

I don't think it's ideal, but I do think it's more consistent.

.

 

[KALLT]

I don't think it's ideal, but I do think it's more consistent.Image .

I think I know what you mean, but actually, this is yet another example of an inconsistency. The keyboard below has that button already. Moreover, the x-button in Safari does something different: it clears the entire field rather than removing the last character (which is what happens in the phone app).

iOS 6 has the phone app done right.

 

[KALLT]

It needs quite a bit of refinement, yes... But, I guess it'll come over time... It's been less than a year that they've been workin on it... And I'm glad they've got the big things and most things right...

Ios6 had over 6 years of refinement behind it...

But that's the whole point. Apple is reinventing the wheel again, whereas it could have simply built upon the previous design. Certainly the music app is where Apple made several unnecessary and avoidable design flaws.

 

[Tammster]

I think I know what you mean, but actually, this is yet another example of an inconsistency. The keyboard below has that button already. Moreover, the x-button in Safari does something different: it clears the entire field rather than removing the last character (which is what happens in the phone app).

iOS 6 has the phone app done right.

I guess we see it differently. The x button is in the same place now in both apps. Yes, they delete different things because of different needs (usually in the phone I do only want to delete one number.

Personally I like the big call button on the new app. I think it will take a few times to get used to the new delete but then we'll be totally used to it.

 

[KALLT]

I guess we see it differently. The x button is in the same place now in both apps. Yes, they delete different things because of different needs (usually in the phone I do only want to delete one number.

Personally I like the big call button on the new app. I think it will take a few times to get used to the new delete but then we'll be totally used to it.

It's not just a question of getting used to it, but whether it makes sense from the start. And here I think Apple hasn't been entirely thorough in its approach. Look also at the pin-code screen when you unlock your phone. There Apple did it differently yet again: the delete button is in the lower right corner and it just says 'delete' rather than using the x-icon. Similarly with the sim-lock screen, where the OK button is in the top-right corner. It's inconsistent.

 

[Tammster]

It's not just a question of getting used to it, but whether it makes sense from the start. And here I think Apple hasn't been entirely thorough in its approach. Look also at the pin-code screen when you unlock your phone. There Apple did it differently yet again: the delete button is in the lower right corner and it just says 'delete' rather than using the x-icon. Similarly with the sim-lock screen, where the OK button is in the top-right corner. It's inconsistent.

Agree that the "delete" is inconsistent. Guess since they have the room for the whole word (not in the other two apps we've been talking about) they used it.

So it was inconsistent before and still is in some places.

 

[j4zb4]

But that's the whole point. Apple is reinventing the wheel again, whereas it could have simply built upon the previous design. Certainly the music app is where Apple made several unnecessary and avoidable design flaws.

They haven't re-invented the wheel... The core remains the same... Some choices are questionable... But, I guess they run the company and know better... One thing I have learnt with apple is that all the things I have questioned initially have turned out to be great... Heck I questioned the iPhone itself when it first came out... And used to laugh my ass off at my friends who bought it... But, since I bought it myself I can't think of moving out...

 

[bbfc]

I found it a shame they didn't try to make button placement consistent. It's different all over the places

One clear example: Mail's home screen. Edit top right, new email bottom right. But in messages it's Edit top left, new message top right.

Now I don't know the full evolution of iOS, maybe it was natural that they ended up there over time. But with the new UI in iOS 7, it seems bizarre to have left weird things like that...

*shrug*

Because Messages doesn't have the status bar like Mail does.

Personally, I think this screen is a mess and looks squashed.

 

[GreyOS]

Because Messages doesn't have the status bar like Mail does.

So? The buttons in Mail could still be in the same place as Messages.

Anyway, this was just one example. These sort of buttons - Edit/Cancel/Done/New/Save/blah blah are often in different places. Would have been nice to make this consistent.

 

[scottytwo]

it'd be nice (read: less blinding) to continue the transparency and contrast theme throughout all the apps. Notes, mail, contacts, music and calendar are plain and quite frankly, hurt the eyes.

Why not simply carry the pin / NC /CC style aesthetic over to these apps? Surely it's not THAT processor intensive?