Rose-Gold-Tinted Liquid Glasses

Summary

This could’ve easily been 12 blog posts, but I opted for one that comprehensively captures how I feel about design on Apple platforms right now. The Pendulum Swing There was immediate criticism of iOS 7’s visual design. Concerns mounted pretty quickly about both style and accessibility. Some people remarked, “It’s only the beta,” implying significant change during the beta release phase was not just possible but probable. Yet, after it was released to the public largely the same as it was introduced, they said, “Give it time.” The first few years of Apple’s new design language, most of the app icons I made and apps I designed were fairly simple and in line with expectations of the platform’s direction. Few colors, subtle or no gradients, definitely no edge effects or glossy treatments. It was really restrictive compared to the icons and UI that we used to make. You know, the style that made Apple the richest company in the world. Years went by, and public tone shifted from defeat to hope. “The pendulum will swing back,” people said, wistfully. It became a common refrain in the last decade. People really expected Apple to shift back toward the kinds of things that made us all fall in love with their platforms and products to begin with. And in spite of Apple’s renewed year-after-year commitment to this restrictive visual style, my clients increasingly asked for more illustrative, visually rich icons. That’s what they wanted. That’s what I wanted. But the pendulum never swung back. Instead, we got Liquid Glass. In a way, one could say Liquid Glass is like a new version of Aqua. It has reflective properties reminiscent of that. One could also say it’s an evolution of whatever iOS 7 was, leaning into the frosted panels and bright accent colors. But whatever Liquid Glass seems to be, it isn’t what many of us were hoping for. Understanding It I love new interpretations of older things. Sequels. Remakes. I will never tire of how new perspectives can create all-new versions...