Focused on apps, Apple's iOS 7 provides a sneak peak at new sharing icons

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  • Reply 41 of 49
    dreyfus2dreyfus2 Posts: 1,072member
    On a side note (might not be too relevant, but) one of our in-house GUI guys came up with an interesting statement, no idea if it is sustainable: He went through Ive's (initial) color palette for iOS 7 and compared it to the palettes used by Google's apps, WP8, WebOS and some popular web sites. His conclusion was that iOS 7's palette is the least opaque he could find anywhere. And he is convinced now that Ive was actually delivering guidelines that make sense for hardware, not software, as they ignore all readability and usability issues and focus purely on product aesthetics instead.

    Considering how a lot of fonts got fatter and darker (e.g. the yellow icon and caption fonts in the Notes app got several shades darker between beta 1 and beta 4, and the light cyan used in several places throughout iOS 7 also became a lot darker)... he might have a point. Beta 4 is miles away from the original color palette and font specs unveiled during WWDC. An iterative learning process for an OS used by half a billion devices is somewhat fascinating. And it is the first time I see Apple being guided (or forced?) by user feedback to that degree.
  • Reply 42 of 49
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by dreyfus2 View Post



    On a side note (might not be too relevant, but) one of our in-house GUI guys came up with an interesting statement, no idea if it is sustainable: He went through Ive's (initial) color palette for iOS 7 and compared it to the palettes used by Google's apps, WP8, WebOS and some popular web sites. His conclusion was that iOS 7's palette is the least opaque he could find anywhere. And he is convinced now that Ive was actually delivering guidelines that make sense for hardware, not software, as they ignore all readability and usability issues and focus purely on product aesthetics instead.



    Considering how a lot of fonts got fatter and darker (e.g. the yellow icon and caption fonts in the Notes app got several shades darker between beta 1 and beta 4, and the light cyan used in several places throughout iOS 7 also became a lot darker)... he might have a point. Beta 4 is miles away from the original color palette and font specs unveiled during WWDC. An iterative learning process for an OS used by half a billion devices is somewhat fascinating. And it is the first time I see Apple being guided (or forced?) by user feedback to that degree.


     


    Ive got too strong in power struggle with Forstall, which was consequently ousted and Ive took the job he and others believed he was the best for. Let us hope he learns something in the near future. Up to now he is not convincing a bit and it seems that some or the things, really good in iOS7 were just lucky breaks. Actually, I don't believe they came from Ive. They were invented by more experienced software designers, he just approved them. 


     


    The whole look and feel of iOS7 looks like a good basic idea with few stubbornly forced "aesthetic" elements and features. Guess who from...


     


    However, this is nothing compared to how OS X will look like in the future. XCode 5 already looks like crap and is full of logical mistakes in GUI. Ive is killing everything that made OS X beautiful and distinct just for the sake of his design taste. This time I agree with some analysts describing it as masturbation...

  • Reply 43 of 49
    poksipoksi Posts: 482member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by techrider View Post



    Whether you like or dislike the new colour scheme, there is a significant flaw with iOS 7's updated UI... the additional effort required for it to be learned by young children who are new to a touch interface, and particularly those who aren't old enough to read yet.



    In 2010 I introduced the iPad to my 3 year old. I was absolutely astonished at how little training I had to provide to her (unlocking, tapping an icon, swiping between pages, rotating the device). The UI, including its gloss and skuomorphic design intuitively did all of the heavy lifting for me. Having supported and trained customers on Macs, PCs, and different smartphones for over 15 years, I'd never seen anything like this and decided to conduct an experiment. My job involves making iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and at one time Windows mobile devices work in the Enterprise, so I was able expose my child to an Android and BlackBerry smartphone (and later the Playbook and Z10). It was obvious that these UIs required significant training compared to iOS. It's possible that's partly due to being exposed to iOS before the other OS' UIs, but the Playbook's "slide to unlock" being spelled out instead of animated with an arrow (just like in iOS 7 betas 1-3*) and the need to swipe from an edge to reveal options, were simply less intuitive.



    When my now 5 yr child (who has learned to read at at Kindergarten level) picked up my iPhone with iOS 7 on it, I was shocked to be asked "Daddy, what do I do?". My child can probably read the words "slide to unlock" but wasn't expecting that. I quickly explained that the words have replaced the arrow, which posed the rhetorical question "why require someone to be able to read in order to use your device?". Making the UI simple enough for any age group speaks volumes about a device's ability to be adopted in all kinds of non-traditional markets.



    I've demo'd the UI to a few of my non-technical customers and the feedback is that the changed UI elements (setting dates and time for a calendar appointment, sharing a webpage, creating a reminder) just don't offer an intuitive transition from old to new.



    I like others, enjoy the new features and workflow improvements. However to me the flat and overly simplified icons, buttons, and elements, the removal of skuomorphic elements, the additional use of text (implying the requirement to be able to read), and the general simplification of the UI doesn't translate as effectively to the young, and that was a huge differentiator for Apple that no one else offered. The new UI presents an unnecessary learning curve and, to me, comes across as a self indulgent change for the sake of change. Perhaps that's harsh, but it bothers me to think that my support team will have to re-train people on how to perform the same tasks because a new UI, rather than spending that time training people on how to get more value out of the new features.



    *iOS 7 beta 4 has added an arrow to the left of the "slide to unlock" wording. I'm sure many others have shared feedback with Apple, as I have, that possibly resulted in this "compromised" update to the UI. iOS 7 beta 4 is an improvement and I'm hopeful the final release re-establishes Apple's UI as a differentiator, like the iOS 6 and before had, over other OS' UIs.


     


    Touche!  THe designer that behaves like child forgot about them...My not even 3  year daughter learned to read and type and count to 20 in 3 different languages on iPad. Without any assistance from myself except finding the app. Ive seems to confirm some egoistic and self-centered stereotypes about artists and wannabe artists.


     


    Hoever, this is not the only flaw he makes by exaggerating in flatness. Macbook Retina feels like a crap compared to standard Macbook Pro. It is made on construction limits, making it squeaking and bending like a plastic notebook.

  • Reply 44 of 49
    bzzlinkbzzlink Posts: 10member
    I(')ve used iOS7 on my primary phone and ipad since beta1.
    Everybody is griping about the rainbow colors, Apple made a big mistake in the presentation of iOS7 they chose the wrong background image. (see ugly section)

    [B]The good[/B]
    The transitions when you navigate is very good. When you click a folder it "zooms you" into that folder, click an app in that folder, and you go one step further in. Click the home button and you are zoomed one step out, and go out of the folder you take a step out to the home screen again. This actually gives a reassuring feeling of walking in a door, and you always know that the home button, walks you out the same way you came in. It gives the impression that you are drilling down in the layers and back out again. This is actually the beginning of 3D navigation UI, which as phones get more and more functions might make sense.

    I really like the overall look and feel

    Color, yes I like the colors! The way that what you choose as a background picture makes changes to the whole UI of the phone. Makes it very personal. (also see ugly section)

    [B]The bad[/B]
    Change. Change is always bad, and I dread the day my 60 year old mother upgrades her iPhone. There will be a support call to me.

    What is clickable. Almost always color lets me click on it, but not always.

    [B]The ugly[/B]
    Choose the wrong background image and your phone is an unreadable mess. Choose the background picture that (I presume) Jony chose for the presentation, and your phone looks like an episode of [URL= Little Pony[/URL]

    Lists. Entering dates and times, used to be nice looking understandable wheels you scrolled with your finger. Now you have floating text you manipulate with your fingers. What makes it really ugly is that all drop down lists are navigated this way, and web form designers love their drop down lists, making it a horrible experience on a lot of web pages.
  • Reply 45 of 49
    blackbookblackbook Posts: 1,361member
    What in the world are you even talking about?
    1000

    If you have an iPhone 4S or below view this pic full screen on your phone. Then you'll see what I'm talking about

    400
  • Reply 46 of 49
    techrider wrote: »
    Whether you like or dislike the new colour scheme, there is a significant flaw with iOS 7's updated UI... the additional effort required for it to be learned by young children who are new to a touch interface, and particularly those who aren't old enough to read yet.

    In 2010 I introduced the iPad to my 3 year old. I was absolutely astonished at how little training I had to provide to her (unlocking, tapping an icon, swiping between pages, rotating the device). The UI, including its gloss and skuomorphic design intuitively did all of the heavy lifting for me. Having supported and trained customers on Macs, PCs, and different smartphones for over 15 years, I'd never seen anything like this and decided to conduct an experiment. My job involves making iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and at one time Windows mobile devices work in the Enterprise, so I was able expose my child to an Android and BlackBerry smartphone (and later the Playbook and Z10). It was obvious that these UIs required significant training compared to iOS. It's possible that's partly due to being exposed to iOS before the other OS' UIs, but the Playbook's "slide to unlock" being spelled out instead of animated with an arrow (just like in iOS 7 betas 1-3*) and the need to swipe from an edge to reveal options, were simply less intuitive.

    When my now 5 yr child (who has learned to read at at Kindergarten level) picked up my iPhone with iOS 7 on it, I was shocked to be asked "Daddy, what do I do?". My child can probably read the words "slide to unlock" but wasn't expecting that. I quickly explained that the words have replaced the arrow, which posed the rhetorical question "why require someone to be able to read in order to use your device?". Making the UI simple enough for any age group speaks volumes about a device's ability to be adopted in all kinds of non-traditional markets.

    I've demo'd the UI to a few of my non-technical customers and the feedback is that the changed UI elements (setting dates and time for a calendar appointment, sharing a webpage, creating a reminder) just don't offer an intuitive transition from old to new.

    I like others, enjoy the new features and workflow improvements. However to me the flat and overly simplified icons, buttons, and elements, the removal of skuomorphic elements, the additional use of text (implying the requirement to be able to read), and the general simplification of the UI doesn't translate as effectively to the young, and that was a huge differentiator for Apple that no one else offered. The new UI presents an unnecessary learning curve and, to me, comes across as a self indulgent change for the sake of change. Perhaps that's harsh, but it bothers me to think that my support team will have to re-train people on how to perform the same tasks because a new UI, rather than spending that time training people on how to get more value out of the new features.

    *iOS 7 beta 4 has added an arrow to the left of the "slide to unlock" wording. I'm sure many others have shared feedback with Apple, as I have, that possibly resulted in this "compromised" update to the UI. iOS 7 beta 4 is an improvement and I'm hopeful the final release re-establishes Apple's UI as a differentiator, like the iOS 6 and before had, over other OS' UIs.
    Children need very little training for anything because there children and have an ability to obsorb information that is lost as we get older. They also have no thoughts on consequence so arnt afraid to touch things.

    My daughter before she was one could use an ipad, iphone, windows phone and understands what a keyboard and mouse do. The only thing she ever really struggled with (apart from figuring out that you cant have both hands on the screen) was that touching a button on an imac screen wont ever work.

    When windows 8 came out I saw a video with a guy worried that people would not know how to get from the lock screen to the sign in screen as theres no instructions on the screen (windows phone doesnt either for that matter). The answer is litterally press anything, mouse, keyboard, touch screen. Anything you try would work.

    So i question why are some people so obsessed UI's needing to spell out in such detail? In every day life from peeling fruit, to putting up a deck chair people have the ability to figure stuff out and actually make an attempt. Why when it comes to a phone or computer do people seem to loose the ability to try anything? And how is it, that these are the people who then turn to twitter or make a video on youtube to tell the world how not kowing what to do and the answer being press anything was such a challenge. Part of me feels some people are just looking for stuff to complain about.
  • Reply 47 of 49
    I'm personally very excited for iOS 7. I can see why people don't like it, however I think it's just beautiful. I don't like how in a another post by apple insider that 52% percent of apps will require iOS 7 for use. As an iPhone 3GS user (which iOS 7 wont even be available for) I am constantly left out of the gaming loop due to the fact nothing runs on that thing anymore. My phone has almost become obsolete and am going to be forced to upgrade (which was probably the plan all along). I am worried this will happen to the iPhone 4 as well. Luckily I have an iPad.
  • Reply 48 of 49
    qamfqamf Posts: 87member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BlazeApple View Post



    I'm personally very excited for iOS 7. I can see why people don't like it, however I think it's just beautiful. I don't like how in a another post by apple insider that 52% percent of apps will require iOS 7 for use. As an iPhone 3GS user (which iOS 7 wont even be available for) I am constantly left out of the gaming loop due to the fact nothing runs on that thing anymore. My phone has almost become obsolete and am going to be forced to upgrade (which was probably the plan all along). I am worried this will happen to the iPhone 4 as well. Luckily I have an iPad.


    A lot of them probably have not actually used iOS 7, and are bashing it because they feel they know what Apple should do.



    I am better a lot of them will like iOS7 once they use it, you cannot judge how good or bad the user experience will be based on looks.  although, looks do indeed play a part.



    I don't see why people are so mad when it is Apple, who is very good at delivering a great user experience, and they are still changing stuff around.



    -QAMF

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