Comments on: Yves Behar on skeuomorphic design and Apple

By: @00ctav

@00ctav — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 07:48:00 +0000

Even the bookshelf itself is an example of “skeuomorphic” approach, because it is very often made of prefab nowadays and the wood bit is just for decoration so it just works. It’s just a human response to a natural adaptation to the environment.

By: Howard Stein

Howard Stein — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 19:04:00 +0000

As a graphic designer I am among those who find the Apple icons dated. However they have been, and continue to be, a brilliant signpost between app and hardware.

My mother is completely baffled by icons but understands the bookshelf in a split second. The illustrations will be phased out in time, and replaced by something equally literate.

By: sradney

sradney — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 14:18:00 +0000

I find this dialogue quite interesting, largely because it’s extremely shallow, coming from a respected designer.

Skeuomorphism is really just a tool (not a style) for connecting emotionally by engaging as many of the senses – and neurons – as possible. In the context of UI, history is a ‘sense’ that’s often overlooked. I mean that deeply engrained instinct, or behavior, about something that can’t be explained. You say ‘intuitive.’ I say ‘instinct.’ Naoto says ‘without thought.’ Again, I say ‘instinct.’

So, maybe Apple’s style (read: execution) of skeuomorphism may bug some people. The incremental evolution of iOS may bug some people. At the end of the day, I’d wager that it’s a major contributor to the overall stickiness of the Apple experience. Quoting Jay-Z, “men lie, women lie, numbers don’t.”

Go design an iOS app with your own skeuomorphs, Yves! You lost a few cool points on this one, bro!

By: Tim K

Tim K — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 02:59:00 +0000

Another designer just sees the chance to get noticed by abstractly challenging the maker of products much more complex and beautiful than the Jambox? Skeuomorphic or not it’s really a subjective thing and I think you have to be quite shallow to think that this is a good question:

“You could say “I don’t know what a tablet is, I’ve never used a tablet. Let’s make it look like a book. Or let’s make it look like my leather-bound notepad. Obviously they didn’t go there with the hardware so why did they go there with the software?”

Because it isn’t.

the “new thinking” wasn’t new for sure. But guess we’ll see if this guy really got some “new doing” coming out from his UI studio.

By: R.E.

R.E. — Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:26:00 +0000

Just because you read this article does not make you knowledgeable on design, K. P. The fact that you don’t know Yves Behar or his accomplishments testifies to you lack of understanding. What he is saying is that skeumorphism worked well back when we were unfamiliar with personal computing and digital interfaces, but now that we all understand the function of a digital calendar, it need not look like a calendar that exists on an actual wall. Instead we should be pushing the envelope of what is possible given we can throw away those preconceptions of physical objects.