“Former Apple TV UI designer and ‘Professional Hobbyist, Apple TV’ Michael Margolis went vocal on Twitter about the new Apple TV redesign last night,” Seth Weintraub reports for 9to5Mac.
“He says that Steve Jobs himself tossed out the new designs 5 years ago,” Weintraub reports. “He adds, ‘Now there is nobody to say ‘no’ to bad design.'”
“Apple is widely expected to release a full Apple HD product in the coming year,” Weintraub writes. “Steve Jobs told biographer Walter Isaacson that he’d cracked the code to the TV but it doesn’t appear that Apple has yet implemented that vision.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: We agree. The Apple TV UI is not as intuitive as it could be and, in some respects, may be a step backwards from the previous UI. When we find ourselves being confused enough to notice while using an Apple product, something is wrong. It’s not a horrid UI, just a little off, but it’s off enough to notice. At first we thought it was just us or maybe we simply hadn’t spent enough time with it yet, but after reading this and some other things around the web, we see that we’re not alone.
Obviously, Jobs tested these products personally and they had to pass a very high level of muster. Hopefully, this is just a one time bobble and not a sign that Apple is already missing Jobs’ taste and ability to discern what’s really easy-to-use from what merely looks like it should be at first glance.
As Apple shareholders, we don’t know whether to shudder or shrug.
When it comes to usability, asking “What would Steve do?” should never be discouraged. And, if this report is true: Never, ever take something Steve Jobs once called “shit,” and then release it. If this report is not true, the latest Apple TV UI is not as intuitive as it could be. It needs work.
Be a yardstick of quality. – Steve Jobs
Be very, very careful here, Apple. Do not think like engineers. Never assume. Never say to yourself, “well, people should be able to figure this out.” If you do, you’re screwing up in Microsoftian fashion. Make damn sure there is no question. When it comes to UI, think like end-users. Focus!
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. – Steve Jobs
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dow Chambless” for the heads up.]