Skeuomorphically Insulting UI

I have developed a blindness to Apple related hyperbole since the whole iPad speculation. It really pushed me over the edge. Yet Adam Greenfield's post about some of Apple's iOS apps managed to seep through my blinders. I FULLY agree that the visual design of those apps are quite awful, particularly iCal on the iPad, but jesus, its not blasphemy (show me the data). Apple has pushed UI and how people think of software pretty damn far since the iPhone came out. Maybe Im a fanboy, but look at what Apple has occomplished. If you don't like the visual design of the compass or calculator make your own. Or use one of the nice ones someone else has made.

I guess the pomp of "What Apple needs to do now" irked me. Really? No one over in Cupertino is thinking about this stuff? Come on. Sometimes us design folks get so far up our own asses. That UI is so skeuomorphically insulting to my design sensibilities. I kid, I kid.

With blank slate devices that are essentially "avatars for services" the concept of affordances as it relates to hardware reflecting software and vice versa changes quite a bit. Complaining that the visual design of an eBook app doesn't match the Rams inspired futuristic awesomeness of your iPhone4 industrial design is like saying the toast doesn't taste the way the toaster looks. Brand is an issue, sure, but I would argue that both the sexy iPhone4 industrial design and hard to look at Calendar app on the iPad are both very Apple. This is incredibly subjective stuff and so is Greenfield's post, which is a great read btw.

Heres to hoping Apple starts designing apps that match Adam's Suzuki. :) 

Bruce Sterling - Adam Greenfield, device critic...

*Too many skeuomorphs!

*There must be something to this complaint. I’m using a MacBook right now, and my email glyph is a little paper postage stamp. My cut and paste is metal scissors, and my music glyph is a plastic CD.