25 cents UX opinions — Apple.
What it do baby!
After nearly a decade of Android, I finally switched over to iOS and man is it whack. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to Apple bash. Apple does a lot of things great, but there are a few basic UX designs that I find quite baffling. So, before you turn into a keyboard renegade and bombard me with a fiery diss track, hear me out.
Rearranging is a bitchin time.
First, let me introduce you all to the “But why?” expression. We’ve all had our “But why?” moments, e.g., Tide pod challenge, Lion King 1.5, certain subreddits, when the Seahawks threw the ball, etc.
In short, any experience that defies logic and intuition is “But why?” worthy. Which brings me to Apple’s take on the classic drag and drop. 🤦
At its core, Apple follows the standard drag and drop sequence, i.e., tap, hold, and drag. However, it’s the unnecessary interactions in between that are incredibly baffling:
As a result, this creates a very janky process when it comes to rearranging apps. Don’t believe me? Let me visualize it for you:
That’s just a single app. Rearranging multiple apps at once will require a bit more finesse. If you can do it with one hand then you’re either the Tony Hawk of Tech Decks or the Simone Biles of finger gymnastics. Go ahead, give it a try:
See what I mean?
What makes the classic drag and drop so great is the fluidity of the experience which is lacking here. With that said, we can restore fluidity via addition and subtraction:
Addition — App drawer.
I understand how some people may see the ‘+’ sign as aesthetically unappealing but I think that’s a very pretentious thing to say. Adding an app drawer won’t jeopardize the ‘beauty’ of the iOS UI. Instead, we’re simply improving accessibility while increasing efficiency.
Subtraction — Quick trim.
The simplest and quickest way to improve Apple’s drag and drop experience would be to remove some of the unnecessary interactions:
Albeit minor, these adjustments will be fairly noticeable as users will no longer experience awkward pauses and double taps which are counter-intuitive.
Accidental creeper.
If only having your flashlight on in broad daylight was considered a norm in society, it would have saved me from those awkward moments of “excuse me, is your camera on?”.
I understand Apple’s reasoning for placing the camera and flashlight shortcuts on the lock screen, but I don’t understand the lack of customization that comes with it. Especially when the likelihood of triggering the camera and/or the flashlight is far higher on iOS devices compared to their counterparts.
To combat unintentional thick thigh or butt touches, Android’s 2-step launch essentially creates a safety lock to prevent this from happening. I’m not saying all of us have thighs like Thighquon Barkley, but I’m sure more than a few of you have had instances where your battery gets drained as a result of an app getting accidentally launched while your phone is in your pocket.
I never understood why Apple decided to place the flashlight shortcut on the lock screen, but I’m guessing it has to do with symmetrical design… This brings us back to the design over practicality ideology that’ll continue to be the bane of my existence.
Since we can’t customize the lock screen, the only solution would be to completely switch off the “Tap to wake” feature which is very convenient and lacking in a surprising amount of Android devices 🤷.
The solution is quite simple. All we have to do is simply add a customization option under Control Panel:
I’m sure Apple could find a couple of guys from their dev team to roll this out. But then again, it only took them 13 iterations to get the volume indicator right.
Screenshots stunted growth.
You ever read something on Facebook or Bleacher Report that was so dope that you ended up taking three to four screenshots just to capture everything What if I told you that you could take long screenshots to capture everything in one go?
Unfortunately, this feature is only available on certain Android devices such as the Galaxy series, OnePlus, Huawei, & Xiaomi to name a few. But, if my memory serves me correct, scrolling screenshots (long screenshots) will be available on Android R which is slated for release in early 2020. As for iOS devices, let’s not hold our breaths.
Scrolling screenshots aside, the main issue I have is how screenshots are taken. Depending on the device that you use, be it Android or iOS, it’s either triggered via volume up+power button or volume down+power button. Let’s be honest, you’d be lying if you never messed up a screenshot due to accidentally locking your screen or just general poor timing.
Thankfully, there are plenty of manufacturers that have simplified this process, including but not limited to, OnePlus, Samsung, Huawei, and Xiaomi. The most common process being the standard three-finger swipe:
Of course, you could get creative & unique like Huawei but ultimately anything moving away from the hardware buttons would be a step in the right direction.
2 dimes and a nickel for 3 simple suggestions.
Apple does a lot of things great and for the better part of the past two decades, they’ve done a solid job at pushing the envelope of innovation. But my oh my how the mighty have fallen… From its loosening grip on the mobile industry to its highly innovative and budget-friendly Apple Display Stand, the only thing I can think of are the wise words of Ice Cube “ You better check yo self before you wreck yo self”.
I’m not an expert on UX design, I’m not even a UX designer for that matter, but as someone who enjoys it, I think there are a lot of areas Apple can improve on when it comes to its’ iOS. You don’t always have to be unique Apple, especially when it comes at the cost of experience.
Well, that was fun. Nothing like the first time amirite? lol. Anyways, I would love to hear what you all think when it comes to iOS vs. Android. All opinions are welcome and constructive criticism is always nice to have. Just don’t tell me I suck, at least tell me how and why haha.
Going to start working on a series of stories about customer service; setting up a CS department, identifying call centers, metrics to observe, CRMs to use, the importance of process, etc.
All love and peace!
