Apple updates retail store webpage with iOS 7-inspired design
Apple on Monday refreshed the "Apple Retail Store" section of its website with a clean aesthetic inspired by iOS 7, complete with "flat" graphics and copious white space.
With the new look, Apple has brought the informational retail section more in line with the rest of the website, which has moved from skeuomorphic graphics to a "flatter" design representative of iOS 7. The tweaked page was first spotted by ifo Apple Store.
While the Online Apple Store and dedicated product pages switched to a white, open look shortly after the launch of iOS 7, the retail location landing page was stuck with a layout from the days of iOS 6.
With a hefty serving of negative space, the retail pages now take on a "flat" look devoid of drop shadows, "depressible" blue buttons and gray background. Instead of being segregated into separate "boxes" as seen below, text and images are now merged into a continuous flow of content.
For example, the top carousel, which currently rotates through promotional images and text for the iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro, abuts an edge-to-edge image of the Amsterdam Apple Store.

Retail store webpage prior to Monday's redesign.
Previously, second-tier retail pages like "Shop," "Learn" and "Genius Bar" had their own divisional boxes. The three categories -- with the same pictures and corresponding text -- are still there, but instead of being segregated, they share a common row of negative space outlined by thin gray lines.
Ancillary retail pages have received the same treatment, including the Apple Store locations list.
The update is representative of Apple.com's continual evolution, which usually takes graphical cues from the company's operating systems.
With the new look, Apple has brought the informational retail section more in line with the rest of the website, which has moved from skeuomorphic graphics to a "flatter" design representative of iOS 7. The tweaked page was first spotted by ifo Apple Store.
While the Online Apple Store and dedicated product pages switched to a white, open look shortly after the launch of iOS 7, the retail location landing page was stuck with a layout from the days of iOS 6.
With a hefty serving of negative space, the retail pages now take on a "flat" look devoid of drop shadows, "depressible" blue buttons and gray background. Instead of being segregated into separate "boxes" as seen below, text and images are now merged into a continuous flow of content.
For example, the top carousel, which currently rotates through promotional images and text for the iPad, iPhone and MacBook Pro, abuts an edge-to-edge image of the Amsterdam Apple Store.

Retail store webpage prior to Monday's redesign.
Previously, second-tier retail pages like "Shop," "Learn" and "Genius Bar" had their own divisional boxes. The three categories -- with the same pictures and corresponding text -- are still there, but instead of being segregated, they share a common row of negative space outlined by thin gray lines.
Ancillary retail pages have received the same treatment, including the Apple Store locations list.
The update is representative of Apple.com's continual evolution, which usually takes graphical cues from the company's operating systems.
Comments
Edit: 9to5Mac has screen shots of old and new pages. Makes the nav bar look even more out of place. :no:
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Could this change have waited a while so they could fix the security problem in OSX?
Sure, different department. But I am sure a lot of people are thinking this.
Indeed, different dept. I wouldn't want to have any security fixes coming from a web designer. Besides, how long have we had this SSL/TLS bug? All the time no one knew about it it wasn't a problem, now it is as we all read about it.
Does the Apple Retail Store page also display the (physically) closest Store near you? It does at my end...
Haven't checked, but the nearest one is pretty far away (two hours by bullet train). If they offered discounts for tickets... (!)
lol. Maybe they don't want you to come and visit anymore since they now have this beautifully created webpage¡
lol. Maybe they don't want you to come and visit anymore since they now have this beautifully created webpage¡
That they spent so much time and effort on during this time of crisis.
So everything needs to stop at Apple until a fix for Mavericks is released?
You notice I said people are thinking it?
I wanted to ask: 'SSL or recession' but coming to the site I see the smiley, which didn't came through over email. Whassupwiththat AI? :rolleyes:
I hadn't thought of it till you mentioned it.
Different department in my brain as well.
It'd be nice if AI would follow suit and remove the top carousel as well as creating empty, white space to the left and right of the homepage.
I have a good 200 apps on my iPhone and iPad and AI and Bank of America are the only 2 still using an iOS 6 design and iOS 6 keyboard.
Its pathetic. Even BOA has promised an update coming soon.
I have a good 200 apps on my iPhone and iPad and AI and Bank of America are the only 2 still using an iOS 6 design and iOS 6 keyboard.
Its pathetic. Even BOA has promised an update coming soon.
Lots of people like iOS7. However, I am not one and still have iOS6 on all but one iDevice, and the one device is rarely used, less so for apps that have been updated.
Hopefully iOS8 will have a UI that is visually more appealing. What that is, I'm not really sure.
Looks nice...I do wish they'd update the photo(s) for some of the stores. There are some that are completely out of date and don't even look like what the photo shows because they'v been renovated and changed around. Heck, the closest store to me (eastview) still shows the original iPone and fatty iPod Nanos in the window. Thats how old the photo is and the store doesn't even look like that inside anymore.
Lots of people like iOS7. However, I am not one and still have iOS6 on all but one iDevice, and the one device is rarely used, less so for apps that have been updated.
Hopefully iOS8 will have a UI that is visually more appealing. What that is, I'm not really sure.
I doubt you're going to see another overhaul of the UI in iOS. I think what you see in iOS 7 is what you're going to get for a while. It may be tweaked here and there like it is in iOS 7.1, but nothing major. You'll eventually be forced to use iOS 7 so you might as well update now and get used to it. Its not really that bad.
Omg. Can every blue-shirted Apple retail employee stop selling Macs until this problem is fixed? There's no conceivable way that a company employing tens of thousands of people can possibly multitask. Impossible. Please, Apple, match my unrealistic expectations.
Apple.com's new retail store page. | Source: Apple
Retail store webpage prior to Monday's redesign.
The differences are stark. Jony is a genius.
It's not that good either.
My main complaint for today anyway, is that 4pt light grey type on a white background is not really very legible. I'm talking about the phone bottom menu, and yes it is 4pt Helvetica Neue LT Std 35 Thin. I measured it and then compared it in Illustrator. We have a rule of thumb in typography, to be legible, type should not be less than 6pt. I routinely have to squeeze stuff in and go as small as 5.5 but that is pushing it. In the case of this menu, they might as well not put any type because most people will need to simply memorize what each icon represents.
Poor UI design in my opinion.
PS, I know the screen real estate is small, and I would give them a break if they had made the text darker for more contrast.