Rene Ritchie Mocks Up An Aluminium iOS
I’m going to use something akin to that as a foundation, with a hint of the WWDC 2012 for the more heavily designed apps. I’m calling it “aluminium” in honor of how Jony Ive (properly) pronounces the word. Here’s an example of Find my Friends, iBooks, and Game Center, stripped down and anodized.
I don’t like this. By stripping everything down to shades of silvery-grey, the apps no longer evoke character or personality. Everything is monotonous and the same. It makes it feel too industrial, too bare-bones. No emotion, no playfulness. Everything feels like work; apps meant for entertainment and fun, such as Game Center, shouldn’t feel like work.
The future design language of iOS should allow apps to portray their personalities, but by bearing in mind the way to do this is not in-your-face stitched leather and wood.
Paper is a great example of an app that makes itself distinct in this way. It uses skeuomorphism only to the point at which it makes sense (the metaphor of journals) and no further. Importantly, Paper doesn’t need to rest the drawing canvas on faux wood to create its individuality and stand out.