Before I go any further, let me head off any argument about downloading things before you look at them. I watched the video. I read the reviews. I decided to upgrade. I regret my decision. So severely that I have decided to blog about a piece of technology.
Let me also head off any discussion about people being stuck in the past. I am fine with innovation. I am fine with changing the look of things to make them more accessible. I am fine with anything that is done to improve customer experience. So much so that 2 years ago, I made the move to Apple in the first place. Not just my phone. Everything. And that move made my online life so much richer.
And I did not end there. At the first glimmer of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device), I jumped in with 3 devices. I suppose there is no stronger advocate than a convert. And that is exactly what I was.
And now this... this... this bunch of illegible doodles on a piece of fine engineering.
So I go online to see what everyone is saying. And what I get is a lot of heated tweets and posts. And in the midst of it all, a high-brow and smug discussion on the battle between two opposing design philosophies.
"You see," says the one side (the Flatlanders), "look at all the functionality you can get when you flatten out the design and take away components that make them like real world artifacts." Bull!!!! Since when did the design of an icon have anything to do with the functionality that lies behind it?
"But," says the other side (the Skeumorphists), "you need designs that look like things in the real world so that users can make the connection between what they do in real life and how they use their device." Seriously? We can't figure out abstract representations?
Both sides have a point. Icons should not be so elaborate that they become an object in and of themselves. At the same time you need some semblance to real life so you can navigate through what your phone does. You wouldn't put a picture of a sketchpad to represent the camera function - even though they both have to do with recording images.
This article sums up the argument quite nicely: Wired.com Article about skeumorphists and flatlanders
But this is where I take issue. Analysts and reviewers are having a great time debating the merits of these approaches and how each type of design has its advantages. But I don't see anybody actually talking about how real customers are getting hurt in the crossfire.
Simply put - the new iOS 7 is a design and aesthetic disaster.
"Come on!" I hear you saying. "It can't be that bad. This is Apple, the epitome of Attention to Detail and the Champion of the Customer Experience."
That's what I thought - and that's why I trusted the upgrade. But I was wrong.
The new functionality is great. Control Center, AirDrop, the ability to block contacts, the camera interface. But that functionality is hidden behind garish colors, barely legible text and washed out icons that fly in from the edges of the screen every time you log in.
The designers did away with the textures of real life - the leather, wood, paper and fabric. Fine. I'm OK with that, as long as you have something really good to replace them with. Something that makes the icons easy to distinguish, and the text and symbols easy to read.
So I get that they did not want to simulate real life. That they wanted to provide an interface to a virtual world that represents the virtual-ness of that world. But did they have to represent a virtual world that looks like a hospital ward, or an avant-garde art gallery that drapes white sheets over every surface and projects blobs of light against them - with text that is light so you don't actually offend the emptiness with meaning that might be permanent?
Summary: Apple I have no issue with your changed philosophy - but I hate the way you executed it. Whatever comes next, please leave my MacBook alone!
So all this is my opinion. But let me share just four screenshots that illustrate why I hold this opinion. And then you can make up your own mind. The first three took place during a phone call (note the green strip at the top). The pictures were taken using the iPhone screen shot utility and I uploaded them as is.
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| Great color use on the banner, especially with the white font |
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| The phone screen while on a call. I don't know about you, but I like to see the picture of the person I'm talking to. This frosted glass effect was taken way too far. --- And how big does the "End" icon need to be? I ended this call by mistake twice (Name of caller deleted) |
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| Note the great color use of the "Notes" and "Reminders" icons. White on white is a great choice! |
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| Sharp and clear...
As long as you're not trying to
check the status of your email
at a glance. (Name of my
employer deleted, since this is
a personal opinion)
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