With such a transformative update to the aesthetics of Apple devices, it’s no surprise that design and UI professionals have various opinions on the new Liquid Glass design language.
As expected, perspectives are varied; however, it’s impressive how open people are to allowing Apple time to perfect the design based on feedback from the early betas.
Wired interviewed several designers, most of whom view it as a daring and innovative approach.
Serhii Popov, a design-oriented software engineer at MacPaw, is overall captivated by this “exceptionally fresh” appearance from Apple. “I believe it will enhance the usability and provide greater comfort for interacting with the UI,” Popov remarks. He notes that the new design looks particularly sleek on iPads.
Josh Puckett, co-founder of Iteration, believes that moving away from the flat design is a significant step forward. “I’m thrilled that Apple is bringing back emotions to their digital surfaces, creating interfaces that shimmer, flex, and breathe.” Puckett hopes this will inspire a broader design movement towards more expressive and immersive software.
Allan Yu, a product designer working on the workplace messaging app Output, admires the “stunning” new aesthetic.
However, there is a strong consensus regarding major readability challenges in its current state. Many believe Apple will need to scale back significantly before the launch, such as reducing background transparency.
DMN reader opinions reflect this duality.
“Visually, it’s striking and appears stunning at first glance — but in practice, I find it rather distracting. There’s a lot of movement and shifting elements, making the interface feel cluttered and harder to concentrate on. I hope future versions will tone things down or allow for more control over the animations and effects.”
“I’m thrilled about the new aesthetic.”
“It might look fantastic, but I foresee numerous usability challenges with it.”
Highlighted Accessories
Image: Apple
