How Apple makes soft-UI the future

The new iOS and MacOS UI changes reflect where the industry is heading.

Apple announced some pretty wild updates at WWDC 2020 today.

But technology aside, let’s focus on how their UI has changed. It went through the first bitmap representations, through Aqua, more modern styles and now all comes together in a completely new, consistent design language.

Main Mac OS design styles

The changes in both the mobile and desktop operating systems signifies which design style currently works best. Until we get morphing displays, soft UI is here to stay. There are similarities between what Apple showed today and what Microsoft developed in its Fluent UI design.

It’s funny to think that over a decade ago Apple mocked Windows Vista for copying their ideas (quite rightfully) when now they merge the Microsoft way into their products.

So here’s the list:

(more) Rounded corners

Some of the newer users may not remember this, but while Apple was always leaning toward rounded corners.

They got progressively more rounded along the way.

The initial iPhone OS had rather square looking toggles and panels. But we all know that our primal conditioning still has sharp corners paradigm as “teeth”. That makes them more frightening and less friendly.

So Apple refined the toggles slowly towards a more rounded version we know and love now.

Left — first iPhone versions. Right: the natural progression towards more roundness.

But they didn’t stop there and also modified the corner radius of the icons. Now a similar style of icons is also coming to Mac OS.