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Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

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Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#761

Post by cyberax »

ethbr1 wrote: post #483
stalco wrote: post #397

I installed it. I really wanted to love it but it’s bad. It’s very busy and the proportions in the Settings app are awful. It’s on the “cozy” side of things (as opposed to “compact”). This means you see less options at one time on the screen and have to scroll more around the OS to get where you need to. As for accessibility… It’s hell. Have a look: https://imgur.com/a/6ZTCStC

The entire press release made my brain hurt. >> Meticulously crafted by rethinking the fundamental elements that make up our software, the new design features an entirely new material called Liquid Glass. It combines the optical qualities of glass with a fluidity only Apple can achieve, as it transforms depending on your content or context. What the fuck does that even mean? Feature litmus test: if you can't describe…

Puh. That's pure amateur hour. They need to _at_ _least_ add something like: "synergy with ideographic interface, achieving unrivalled experience while preserving the individualized touch".

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#762

Post by layer8 »

lurking_swe wrote: post #651
layer8 wrote: post #433

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t see a lot changing about the problem of labels and active controls still being hard to distinguish, and the like.

there is a setting labeled “increase contrast” under Accessibilitt > Display & Text Size. That may help? i haven’t tried it.

It helps only in some limited ways, while also making some elements look more ugly. It does too little to solve the overall issue.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#763

Post by cyberax »

plainOldText wrote: post #297
pzo wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Same. I was kind of slowly preparing myself that I might be switching to android and it seems this might be the final straw. Will wait until Sept to see how new iphone and google pixels will look like but most likely I will do the transition (even though been developing for iOS for more than 10 years.

Sure, it's reasonable to consider a switch. But while Android devices have come a long way in terms of physical design, capabilities, UI/UX, etc, out of the box Apple still offers a more comprehensive, user friendly and privacy focused security solution: lockdown, tighter controls of hardware/software integration, etc. So there's that.

Try getting a device like a foldable phone that has no i-land analogs! That will provide a nice way to get benefits from the transition.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#764

Post by xp84 »

idk1 wrote: post #753
dimal wrote: post #148

Oh no. It looks like every button and menu is now a translucent layer, so that any noise from the background shows through and muddles the text. This seems like an accessibility nightmare. Translucent layers generally make software unusable for me. In the video, I saw several instances that would be really really bad for me, where I’d be straining to understand the text. Looks really cool and futuristic though. Just…

There is, they outline it in this video. It looks like there are three ways to turn it off: high contrast, reduced motion, and frostier glass. So it looks like there's just a way to have a full basic icon with just the icon and the outline and a white background. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2025/219/

PSA: High Contrast mode on MacOS, incidentally, destroys theming on Microsoft Edge (I know, I’m a weirdo who uses Edge on Mac). I use theming to differentiate between several browser profiles. For months I thought Edge had decided they wanted the themes to be ultra lame and subtle, but it was my usage of that setting that broke it.

Besides that huge dealbreaker though, HC mode is amazing for people like me who think UIs should be clear, obvious, and functional first rather than “elegant” and pretty as the main priority.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#765

Post by layer8 »

lurking_swe wrote: post #649
layer8 wrote: post #419

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Probably, but they tend to also make for an ugly look, like the “Increase Contrast” setting in iOS. The other way around would be better: Have an accessible down-to-earth default, and a secondary “fancy visuals” mode for those who want that.

the autistic user base is vastly smaller than the neurotypical user base. So it makes sense to ship settings that most people would like. It’s simply a matter of “which settings would MOST of our users want enabled by default?” I do agree that the accessibility settings can make ios pretty ugly though. It’s a real shame. :(

I’m don’t think that most users want a fancy new look that also decreases usability and readability. At least that’s not the impression I get with the users I talk to. Maybe most users let themselves be impressed in a marketing sense, but that doesn’t mean they would actively want it by themselves.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#766

Post by adastra22 »

stalco wrote: post #397

I installed it. I really wanted to love it but it’s bad. It’s very busy and the proportions in the Settings app are awful. It’s on the “cozy” side of things (as opposed to “compact”). This means you see less options at one time on the screen and have to scroll more around the OS to get where you need to. As for accessibility… It’s hell. Have a look: https://imgur.com/a/6ZTCStC

That screenshot is utterly unreadable. It makes my eyes hurt. For the young people out there, I'm not exaggerating or being metaphorical. Literally pain in my eyes as they try (and fail) to focus on the appropriate UI elements.

I was going to upgrade to an iPhone 16 this week. I might be checking out Google or Samsung devices instead.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#767

Post by adastra22 »

azinman2 wrote: post #556
chupchap wrote: post #547

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's Apple Maps bad!

Apple Maps is actually great now.

Depends on your region. It is fantastic in Cupertino. It is literally unusable in Japan or Taiwan. Literally--it will fail to get directions or even find your destination (typing in English or the local language).

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#768

Post by arnaudsm »

pat2man wrote: post #20
arnaudsm wrote: post #17

On top of wasting GPU cycles, such low-contrast graphics are terrible for older users. The Apple Music navbar is hilariously unreadable and distracting.

Accessibility -> Display -> Reduce Transparency?

Basic visibility should be the default, most people never change their settings.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#769

Post by thenaturalist »

wpm wrote: post #689
Due_Winter_5330 wrote: post #530

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does it look if you enable "Reduce Transparency" in Accessibility - Display settings?

It looks awful, and doesn't actually remove all of the transparency effects, though that might be due to the fact that its Beta 1.

I cannot confirm that.

Reducing transparency, the entire background gets greyed and the background/ look is much more akin to iOS 18.

Re: Apple introduces a universal design across platforms

#770

Post by thenaturalist »

CamperBob2 wrote: post #710
stalco wrote: post #397

I installed it. I really wanted to love it but it’s bad. It’s very busy and the proportions in the Settings app are awful. It’s on the “cozy” side of things (as opposed to “compact”). This means you see less options at one time on the screen and have to scroll more around the OS to get where you need to. As for accessibility… It’s hell. Have a look: https://imgur.com/a/6ZTCStC

Wow. It would almost be OK if they had had the sense to dim the background substantially, but... wow. It had better be possible to turn this crap completely off. Is it?

Reduce transparency in the accessibility settings.

Fixes it luckily.

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