// Different UI Strokes for Different Folks: Deconstructing Approaches to User Interface – Enervision Media

There’s been a lot of hooplah around the rollout of the new IOS for iPhones and iPad. Some of this is attributable to the very different approach to the UI for both devices.

The look and feel has changed: instead of apps that look like their analog components, the UI is very minimal and streamlined.

David Pogue of the New York Times calls it  “a radical, huge redesign….No more fake leather, fake woodgrain, fake green felt, fake yellow note paper. It’s all blue Helvetica Neue against white.”

But some users have been upset at the changes. This is a update?

I have found that users – and clients – all have radically different ideas of what makes a user interface (UI) engaging.

Some people love the look of what the old iPhone/iPad used to represent – emulating the analog world.  Making a UI look like something else – in the offline (real) world is what is known as skeuomorph, and it has been successful on and off for many years.

Examples of “real world” interfaces include any UI where you interact with an object that looks like the item you use in daily life:

  • A calculator looks like a real-world calculator
  • Yellow stickies
  • Monthly and daily calendars
  • Directories or books with colored tabs across the top or down the side
  • Photo books that look like the real thing
  • eBooks that have pages that turn
  • Analog clocks.
clock

This widget resembling an analog clock is a choice on igHome.

As you can see from this list, it’s hard to get away from this type of interface, as it has infiltrated the digital world in so many manifestations.

Then there’s what I call “dimensional” approach to UI. Here, things mostly need to look touchable (whether on a touchscreen app or not), even if they don’t look entirely like an object in the real world.  This is one of the most common interfaces on the Web.  Key to this kind of UI are elements indicating dimension, including bevels, edges, and the “look” of different kinds of surfaces, including:

  • Buttons that look clickable
  • Drop shadows on pictures
  • The entire content area looking “inset” or “offset”

Amazon is an example of a Website that has long sported a dimensional UI. (see above screenshot)

Finally, we come full-circle back to the “flat, minimalist” UI approach that the new iPhone/iPad is sporting.  I happen to enjoy this approach to UI immensely, as it is clean, fast, and very modern. We’ll call this the “minimalist UI” approach.

Key components of a minimalist UI are:

  • Flat edges
  • Simple shapes
  • High definition
  • Limited color palette
  • Easy-to-read fonts

Flat UIs are particularly well-suited to sites that are information-intensive, highly functional, and require speed.  Highly transactional sites and apps often benefit from streamlined graphics and the clarity of flat design.

UPS-my-choice

This “UPS My Choice” email newsletter uses flat design to streamline its message.

What you end up using on your next Website or application is up to you and what you think your users will respond to.  If your users are confused by one type of UI, they may respond well to another one.  Understanding the differences helps you make a conscious choice towards your site, your app, and your brand.

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