Over the years, Apple has consistently revolutionized the industry through groundbreaking user interface (UI) innovations. From the Lisa’s pioneering personal computing interface to the iPhone’s transformative mobile computing experience, and the recent Vision Pro’s spatial computing advancements, Apple has consistently pushed the boundaries of UI design.
While the introduction of iOS 7 set the path for graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for the past decade, it’s becoming increasingly evident that a new era of immersive design is on the horizon. By connecting the dots across Apple’s ecosystem, we can discern a pattern of changes that hint at the future direction of UIs.
Three key principles emerge: immersion, a sense of physicality, and seamless motion integration. As we transition from the limitations of 2D screens to the boundless possibilities of spatial computing, designers must embrace these principles to unlock new, captivating experiences.
Imagine a weather app where you can stand amidst falling snow, with flakes landing in your hands, providing an immersive and multisensory experience. While this may not be feasible on iOS currently, Apple is introducing changes that suggest a move towards more immersive and spatially aware interfaces.
The trend is to give apps their unique spaces, taking advantage of the entire display to create a more immersive representation than traditional “in-the-box” designs. This approach is exemplified in the redesigned settings interface, which embraces depth, shadows, reflections, and physicality, mirroring the principles of the real world we inhabit.
The resurgence of skeuomorphic design principles is a testament to this shift, as designers strive to create interfaces that feel more human-like and grounded in reality. Apple’s implementation of the Action button in the iPhone 15 Pro’s settings is a prime example of this trend.
The Dynamic Island on recent iPhone models showcases Apple’s ingenious approach to transforming hardware challenges into software advantages. Its fluid animations and accurate physics create a sense of magic, setting the stage for the integration of similar principles throughout iOS 17, as evidenced by the beautiful Shazam animation in the Dynamic Island and the intuitive AirDrop interactions.
Trends become industry standards when they unlock new possibilities, solve real problems, and resonate with human intuition. As we stand on the precipice of a new era in UI design, designers must embrace 3D graphics, immersive environments, and motion interactions, while maintaining a steadfast focus on problem-solving at the core of their creative endeavors.
