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How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

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Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#11

Post by mrks_ »

sorenjan wrote: post #9

I've long found it strange that the same company that didn't want a second mouse button because they didn't want to hide functionality in context menus now hide so much functionality behind gestures with a varying amount of fingers. This started while Jobs where still at Apple, so it can't be blamed entirely on his successors.

This issue has been getting worse in OS X, too. I find myself continuously finding hidden functionality by holding in the option or command button while clicking or dragging.

Frankly, and this may just be cynicism, I speculate that these hidden functions are a way for Apple to hold consumers hostage to their platform. If someone spends a few years learning all the idiosyncrasies of OS X and iOS, they may be too intimidated to switch to another platform, since they've invested so much time into learning Apple's OS.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#12

Post by ThomPete »

All interaction is learned nothing is purely intuitive and so their critique seems awfully nit-picky but ultimately trivial and based on an older paradigm than the one I think apple is trying to achieve. I am frankly surprised that people I normally admire would launch such a critique.

The touch display did more good for usability than any interface design or metaphor did the previous 20 by simply removing the layer of abstraction between the object on the screen and the user wanting to manipulate it. No more mentally translating hand-mouse coordination with eye-screen coordination.

I am not defending apple but I understand what they are trying to do which is to remove the need for metaphors by allowing you to manipulate the objects directly. I.e. the content is the metaphor for itself. Just like i don't need a metaphor for picking up a pencil i just do. Maybe they are not there yet but thats I price I think is worth paying.

Apple have far bigger problems than their interaction design IMO.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#13

Post by qyv »

andyjohnson0 wrote: post #2

(Re-posted at the suggestion of dang.) As someone who develops on both iOS and Android, and uses an Android phone, there was a lot in this article that I agreed with. Particularly Apple's prioritisation of beauty over design. One weakness was the discussion of undo and Android's supposed strength due to its dedicated back button. This didn't convince me: the back button on Android sometimes undoes operations, but oft…

Speaking of Undo, one of google's common features across several of it's products is the use of undo instead of confirmation, I absolutely LOVE this. If I archive an email in gmail (app or browser) it doesnt't ask me if I am sure I want to do that, but it does give me the option to immediately undo that action. This little feature is so wonderful when you think about it. It allows you to complete an intended action in one step, but abort an unintended action in two steps. That is great functional design.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#14

Post by pinaceae »

the great thing is that reality, and that is millions and millions of new users that never used a "proper" computer before and now have no problem using these new supercomputers that fit into a pocket, is proving this whole diatribe wrong.

same is true for Android and iOS, the differences are minimal by now.

little kids can pick up modern multi-touch devices and work and play with them at ease. that is design.

not the lofty bullshit claimed in that article. but yeah, it strokes the egos of so many butthurt alphanerds, who just can't comprehend how their elite hobby is being overtaken by normal people.

on iOS, and less so Android, but still, there are NO POWER USERS. everyone gets the same treatment. you can shove your l33t bash or WSH/regedit skills right where they came from.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#16

Post by qyv »

ThomPete wrote: post #12

All interaction is learned nothing is purely intuitive and so their critique seems awfully nit-picky but ultimately trivial and based on an older paradigm than the one I think apple is trying to achieve. I am frankly surprised that people I normally admire would launch such a critique. The touch display did more good for usability than any interface design or metaphor did the previous 20 by simply removing the layer…

Gestures are the epitome of interface metaphors. Not only that, but their hidden nature can make them exceptionally difficult to learn or master.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#17

Post by JupiterMoon »

pinaceae wrote: post #14

the great thing is that reality, and that is millions and millions of new users that never used a "proper" computer before and now have no problem using these new supercomputers that fit into a pocket, is proving this whole diatribe wrong. same is true for Android and iOS, the differences are minimal by now. little kids can pick up modern multi-touch devices and work and play with them at ease. that is design. not th…

> on iOS, and less so Android, but still, there are NO POWER USERS. everyone gets the same treatment.

This is not true. Those of us that can write programs are power users in that we can write programs using our general purpose computers that run on our devices.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#18

Post by ThomPete »

qyv wrote: post #16
ThomPete wrote: post #12

All interaction is learned nothing is purely intuitive and so their critique seems awfully nit-picky but ultimately trivial and based on an older paradigm than the one I think apple is trying to achieve. I am frankly surprised that people I normally admire would launch such a critique. The touch display did more good for usability than any interface design or metaphor did the previous 20 by simply removing the layer…

Gestures are the epitome of interface metaphors. Not only that, but their hidden nature can make them exceptionally difficult to learn or master.

Not sure what gestures and what metaphors you are talking about.

Touch something on the screen is not a metaphor it's the closest to what you would do in real life.

This is why kids and people less experienced with computers have such an easy time picking them up and start using them.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#19

Post by Arcanum-XIII »

ThomPete wrote: post #12

All interaction is learned nothing is purely intuitive and so their critique seems awfully nit-picky but ultimately trivial and based on an older paradigm than the one I think apple is trying to achieve. I am frankly surprised that people I normally admire would launch such a critique. The touch display did more good for usability than any interface design or metaphor did the previous 20 by simply removing the layer…

The strangest thing for me is that my 17 month old seem to pick the interaction with an iPad or Apple TV way more naturally than I could. She's not afraid of experimenting, and she's not overthinking what's happening or not — and since other children (same age or older) seem to "get it" as fast, I would say they're on something. I'm more weary of the ergonomics of their products : what's good for a toddler (the Apple TV remote for example) may not be the perfect solution for a grown up hand. Likewise, their pen for the iPad Pro seem to be designed for look over function, or their mouse, or... But we'll see.

Re: How Apple Is Giving Design a Bad Name

#20

Post by nostrademons »

Much of this may be a reaction to the technology market maturing, with many more people being intimately familiar with how to use technology and new features spreading faster by word of mouth.

When the Mac came out, you had to teach people how to use a computer through the interface. Few people had prior experience with them, and it was unlikely that they'd be able to sit down with you and explain it.

Now, it is a fairly good bet that somebody you know has the product you're about to buy, and will happily tell you what you can do with it. Apple has sold more Apple Watches in the past 6 months than they did Apple IIs in its entire production run from 1977-1993. If you don't have a friend who will show off the latest features, you can easily Google for them, or read about them on any one of a number of online blogs dedicated to surfacing cool features.

It's a different social environment, not just a different technical one. Design is as much about understanding the environment you operate in than it is about the product itself, and the principles change as the environment does.

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