One of the new OSX Leopard features that Steve Jobs unveiled today is a unified theme for the operating system. Apple has been experimenting with app themes for a long time, and the result has been a hodgepodge of inconsistent UIs. The current Finder, for example, shares the same (butt-ugly) brushed metal theme as iCal, iChat and a smattering of other applications. iTunes and the iLife apps have another skin, and older apps – such as MS Office – have another still. They just don’t feel right. Given Apple’s focus on UX as a differentiator, it was about time the company did something about this.
Leopard has a new unified UI that seems similar to the one currently used by iTunes and the iLife apps. It is clean, sober, and – most important – consistent throughout the whole operating system. And they didn’t stop with the OS and applications: apple.com has also undergone a redesign that adopts the new UI look and feel. (They couldn’t well announce a “unified” theme for the OS while still feature the old tabbed UI theme on the site, could they?) This attention to detail is a testament to Apple’s commitment to develop and differentiate their brand through consistent design.
A side note: I’ve never seen a better online presentation of a new software app than the Leopard pages in apple.com. The screencasts, especially, seem perfectly integrated with the rest of the site, and do a great job of presenting the new features clearly.
Kudos to all involved!
Continue Reading