I like iOS7. I’m inspired by its Powers of Ten-like zooming, and there are neat little things packed in — like the Clock showing the accurate time even without launching the app. I love the single-Note sound alert, and the charging chime. The shake of entering in an incorrect passcode was integrated from the desktop, and the fade in & out of viewing the lock screen nicely mirrors the smoothness of launching into or zooming out of an app. Nice work, guys. While it does have a few clunky considerations in just a few places, over the course of one afternoon it has managed to make every other interface I interface with feel outdated.
So here’s what’s next to reconsider (a wish list):
- The Voicemail icon is left over from the age of cassettes. What if it were a speech bubble with lines?
- The Phone icon is reminiscent of old school bakelite or plastic hand-held receivers. How about an iPhone icon?
- The Alarm clock is from back in the day when there were two bells atop a bedside clock. I can think of other ways to show alarm.
- Folders inside of Mail have bothered me for years. How can we make the leap from a desktop — even using the word desktop! — to a more virtual world if we’re still thinking manila?
Arguably, cameras still have the same form factor, so Camera can stay; Mail is still a nice attempt at taking over the USPS and has happily lost its Windows-like clouds.
But there’s still work to do. Want to collaborate with me on them?