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发帖数: 1034 | 1 Before the release of Android 4.4 “KitKat” DeveloperTech predicted version
5.0 of the OS would see a focus on a complete redesign above all else. The
functionality and capabilities of Android is far ahead of the competition –
but few would call stock ‘droid the prettiest OS of the bunch.
Closest rival, Apple, had a design-focus in iOS7 removing all “skeuomorphic
” elements and going for a flat-design reminiscent of Windows Phone.
Rumours state the cards will be flipped this year; with Apple focusing on
function whilst Google clamps down on design. In a fireside chat between
Android design chief Matias Duarte and The Verge’s Editor-in-Chief Joshua
Topolsky; we heard that Google’s annual I/O developer conference this year
will put a significant amount of attention on design as a topic.
A post entitled ‘A conversation about design’ on Google Developers Blog
yesterday backed this up. It starts by talking about Google’s initial
minimalist design: “When Google launched, it was a crisp white page with a
simple search box. You might not have thought there was much in the way of
design, but its appearance underscored two of our most important principles:
simplicity and usefulness.”
It moves on to recognise how design has changed: “Those principles haven't
changed much in fifteen years, but our understanding of what makes great
design has—throughout the industry.”
The post’s purpose is to announce a series of “design minutes” dedicated
to demonstrating better practices and how effective a great design can be.
Google’s own apps have been showing more care to design since Larry Page’s
appointment as CEO in 2011…
At the time, The Verge summed up the phenomenon: “Something strange and
remarkable started happening at Google immediately after Larry Page took
full control as CEO in 2011: it started designing good-looking apps.”
The intelligent personal assistant, ‘Google Now’, was released a year
later in 2012 and brought with it a vision of flat-design from Google we can
expect to see a mass uptake of across Android apps in this year’s major OS
release.
Android Police created some mock-ups showing what upcoming apps are likely
to look like based on recent app leaks and information available to them
about ‘Project Hera’ which is “Android’s marriage to the Web” allowing
tasks to be performed by web applications.
The flat redesign would be Android's second. As part of 3.0 "Honeycomb"
Google included a new UI called 'Holo' which was further refined in 4.0 "Ice
Cream Sandwich". We are now on 4.4 "KitKat" and anticipating Android 5.0 to
be announced at Google's I/O proceedings on June 25th carrying this new
design.
With Google launching major new products in wearables through Google Glass
and Android Wear – it’s about time the company rallies its vast sea of
developers to design more applications with the same love as Apple’s iOS
platform. The OS just needs some care first.
Do you think the world’s most popular OS needs a redesign? Let us know in
the comments. |
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