Re: Aqua Human Interface and Safari
Re: Aqua Human Interface and Safari
- Subject: Re: Aqua Human Interface and Safari
- From: Jay Prince <email@hidden>
- Date: Thu, 9 Jan 2003 22:19:01 -0800
On Wednesday, January 8, 2003, at 04:50 pm, Greg Hurrell wrote:
El Thursday, 9 January, 2003, a las 03:17 AM, John Siracusa escribis:
But I do agree, it's Metal Madness these days. Were there any
non-metal
windows shown during the MWSF keynote? :)
I think there are two reasons why the Metal Madness has extended to
Safari:
1. Steve Jobs wanted it that way.
2. Apple wants their browser to stand out from the others, and making
it brushed metal ensures that it stands out instantly from any other
browser on any other platform -- instant visual recognition.
Both of these are enough to make Apple ignore its own HIG.
The HIG says, use brushed metal for applications that emulate an
appliance, or are primarily single window interfaces.
I don't understand why so many people hate the metal interface and
complain about it, but I believe it is being used consistently.
Remember the first major use of it was Quicktime player. QT Player is
essentially a program that emulates a TV appliance. It is a passive,
watching oriented application rather than an editing application.
Most applications use multiple windows-- a document window, palettes,
and a separate toolbar. These are big, full featured, full of buttons
and icon applications. These apps are designed for creating, and
editing, rather than viewing. They are document oriented, and should
use aqua.
Smaller apps, apps that emulate devices, or are interfaces to them,
have a simpler more concrete-real world look with the metal interface.
Safari is not a web editor, it is a web browser.
With preview, which is a viewer to some extent, there is some limited
editing. With Safari, there is no editing-- you just view the sites.
This is why preview- which is also view oriented, is aqua, while Safari
is metal.
It's a judgment call, but it isn't as arbitrary and pointless as many
seem to think.
Both Aqua and Brushed metal UIs are evolving-- even looking at the
differences between Apples Backup App and Safari you can see it. In
2007, both will still be around, along iwth probably some other looks--
but they will evolve with the times, and to some extent, fashion.
Every apps ui must reflect that apps function, and there is a spectrum
along which each app fits.
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