“Whisper has it that Google’s engineers are considering a ‘flat’ version of Android following Apple’s huge success with its own flat OS, iOS 7,” Jonny Evans writes for Computerworld.
“Adoption of flat user interfaces simply follow historical precedent, in 2012 (shortly after the departure of iOS chief, Scott Forstall) ex-Apple staffer, Justin Maxwell, wrote: ‘So long, and thanks for all the wooden, scotch-taped, leather-stitched, linen-backed fish,'” Evans writes. “Maxwell is now the UX [User Experience] lead at Google.”
“While it is easy to consider it as Apple imitation, Google is simply following a need to de-clutter user interfaces. Apple may have hit the headlines when it fired Scott Forstall and went flat, but Microsoft and Google have also been working toward a cleaner look in the UI in recent years,” Evans writes. “Google’s apparent plan to deploy a flatter interface in its mobile OS should be seen as tacit approval for Apple’s work to put users at the center of the mobile experience.”
Much more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Brawndo Drinker” for the heads up.]
Naa. I prefer to consider it just more of the same- monkey see, monkey do.
What is going on lately?
In a word: Lemmings. Me-too is the apex of the unoriginal. That said, not at all surprised. Corporate copiers make for a comfy couch.
😀
Maybe all the anti-design trolls will move over to Google & Android web sites next, and leave this web site decluttered.
Not a chance JS
You may have that backwards, my dear. The good-design people may move on.
But first, eyes and mind open let us see what the Android art future brings to the touch table.
While still amazing and visibly happening on the Apple hardware front, on the GUI end soon to include OSX, yawn …
“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change ”.
― Heraclitus
Change for the better that is, not change for change sake. 🙂
Ah, I hope you understand that I specified trolls as the ones who might move on, not such as yourself or other serious students of the arts, who are always welcome, though sometimes confused with those other blackguards.
Your veiled insinuation that iOS 7 was change for change’s sake is, I believe, well-founded. There may have been an engineering basis for the redesign but it could have been implemented less radically — sparing everyone all the anguish. Steve Jobs, I believe, would have seen this and raised a finger at the outset.
The thin veil did not go undetected.
Steve would have looked at the design comps and in seconds cast a steely gaze and asked something like, is this all you got? I grew up with Dover clip-art books (Nouveau, Deco, Bauhaus) that looked as good or better, for chrissake!
If I had only one wish, barring an engineering nightmare for the world’s largest cash strapped company working in dilapidated digs — choice of skins, Tim.
MeB happy.
That’s original.
My apologies. No, it’s not. Apple is equally culpable.
And all those troll kept saying iOS 7 was flat because it copied Android!
Who to believe?
trolls, damn it!
Of course, with the iOS7 look, Apple made it easier for Google et. al. to copy all the iOS design elements that differentiated iOS from Android.
Pfff. I saw this coming, as soon as the iOS flat look came out.
No thanks. Sounds like change for the sake of change.
We have these beautiful displays and very capable machines and we use all that power to put a dull flat UI on the screen. Kind of sad.
Actually, Apple made the move away from Skeuomorphism to save on battery life. The flatter look isn’t as graphic-intensive as the bevelled and shadowed look of the UI.
For the 2% Android crowd that will adopt…
“Google’s apparent plan to deploy a flatter interface in its mobile OS should be seen as tacit approval for Apple’s work to put users at the center of the mobile experience.”
I don’t think Apple needs or wants google’s approval for anything.
Apple hating blowhards have picked apart Apple on 2 fronts lately: iOS 7’s flat look and iPhone screen size. Now with Apple moving into larger phone display territory and Google’s plans to imitate Apple’s flat look, what do they have left to complain about?
I’m hearing crickets. CHIRP! CHIRP!
Are you saying that everyone critical of Apple is a troll hater? Constructive coupled with critical is a concept worth understanding, IMHO.
I’m not, and I agree with you. Constructive criticism from intelligent human beings is very welcome. Woefully hard to find, but welcome.
What tends to transpire instead, more often, is contempt of facts, negative Nancy’s and Samsung affiliates.
If google didn’t have Apple to leach from, fandroids would be walking around with giant blackberry knock-offs
Android does need to be flattened… I suggest the nuclear option.
Another ORIGINAL ideal
G4Dualie
Actually, Apple made the move away from Skeuomorphism to save on battery life. The flatter look isn’t as graphic-intensive as the bevelled and shadowed look of the UI…..
Very interesting, but the bevelled and shadowed look of the UI, LOOKS MUCH BETTER, so how about a preferences setting.
Let the user decide. Most people I’ve talked to think the “3d” look WAS BETTER.
I think the “new, flat, imitate Microsoft look” is TOO MICROSOFT.
If Apple goes with F&#king-up the look of MAC OS( with the “flat” look), then I may consider Microsoft.
If Apple wants to look like Microsoft, might as well just buy Microsoft.
More software, same Intel chip.
Oh no, how will Apple survive without you? Bye
Windows Mobile went flat with tiles before Jony Ive FUBARed iOS with pastels, skinny fonts and stooooopid icons. He fixed what was not broken.
I could have done without fake leather and the rest, but the style over substance train wreck that is iOS 7 has more to do with Apple pulling signatures of iOS 6 VERY QUICKLY.
Plenty of iOS7 sufferers would gladly upgrade to iOS 6 if they could.
It’s a phone, people. Do you sleep with it? Eat it? Marry it? Drink it? Such drama!
Indeed. Excessive! Superfluous! Scandalous! As Oscar Wilde would have said: And that is why we love it so.
CupertinoJoe
Monday, April 14, 2014 – 7:50 pm · Reply
Oh no, how will Apple survive without you? Bye
CupertinoJoe
Oh no, how will Apple survive without you? Bye
They sure can survive without me.
But customer satisfaction is important .
I’m not the ONLY ONE the doesn’t like the “FLAT’ look.
MOST people I’ve asked, like the 3D “look” better, NOT just me?
Take a poll ?
Is there an App, to give you the 3D look?
3D is a fad.
In the future, the buttons will touch YOU.