Apple announced the World Wide Developers Conference for the week of June 10. New versions of OS X and iOS should be on display at the conference.
Rumors regarding changes to OS X and iOS have begun with this article on the new iOS interface
I am most concerned about rumors of the iOS 7 interface being flattened. This isn't the only question about Apple's direction for interface changes, but it is the subject of these current rumors. In recent months, there have been a number of web pundits calling for the removal of all skeuomorphism from computer interfaces. Should Apple designers follow this advice regarding the iOS interface to the degree Microsoft has for Windows, users may be presented with an interface lacking the detail necessary to make iOS easy to use.
To see how this may be possible, consider the meaning of the term skeuomorphism. Quoting one Wikipedia definition of skeuomorphism "an element of design or structure that serves little or no purpose in the artifact fashioned from the new material but was essential to the object made from the original material." A good example of this is pottery with clay rivets mimicking copper pots.
Unfortunately, a large group of pundits have skewed the meaning of skeuomorphism to anything in a computer interface resembling anything in the real world. The definition of skeuomorphism in Wikipedia was edited just a couple of weeks ago to reflect this bias. But, you would be strained to find well recognized interface experts who will accept this broad definition. In , Clive Thompson seems to believe the formatting of calendar apps similar to printed calendars is a skeuomorph. It is not.
Perhaps this attack on anything that smacks of skeuomorphism comes from users' frustrations with cute interfaces. Some years ago, we entered a period referred by many as Web 2.0. This was a period of creating web sites more like on-line applications. We often got web site interfaces with cute artwork in place of solid interface mechanics. Web sites difficult to use with little substance behind them.
It's understandable many people rebel against these too cute interfaces. On iOS, look at some of Apple's apps, such as Contacts, Calendar and Mail. They have faux leather trim and stitching. This is skeuomorphism. I am reminded of U.S. cars from the 1970s. With faux leather and stitching, they mimic expensive European imports. But, the faux nature of this trim made the car look classless and cheap. People want the European import with understated trim.
People looking to throw out any paradigm extracted from the analog world are going too far. Look at Windows 8 with its tiles for examples of an interface that doesn't work well. Windows and dialog boxes in Windows 8 (and it's tablet counterpart) are very "flat." There are no gradations in color, no shadows, and elements within those windows are minimalistic. A dialog box can be open when the Charms panel pops out from the left side of the screen; it is very difficult for the user to know what task should be performed first, and which window or dialog is which!
Extend this problem to other parts of the interface, and you begin to see the scale of the problem when an interface is too flat. There are many other usability problems as touched on in this article and this .
Why have we come to this? In part, because people don't think things are new unless they change. Change for the sake of change. I have to wonder if we are going in this direction, because the young designers don't know the original lessons of computer interface design learned through the 1980s and early 90s. Perhaps we will be forced to repeat history.
We must have some skeuomorphism as defined in the pundits' broadest sense to increase the usability of the interface. We need some sort of design to tell us which element to focus on. We need buttons with a slight 3D appearance to allow us to discern detail out of the corners of our eyes, so we don't constantly scan the screen over and over to dredge details from an interface lacking details.
A completely flat interface is boring. Microsoft knew this when they backed the uninteresting elements of their interface with pretty pictures in the background. Why not make the interface itself more interesting?
Perhaps most users are now so used to the graphical interface, each has her own desires for the type of interface used. Maybe this is just one more argument for the adaptable interface. I don't want those wishing for dull, classless interfaces to dictate how I must interface with my machine. If you feel the same way, look for the iOS 7 introduction in mid-June. Then, voice your opinion at and/or send an email to feedback@apple.com.
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