[mouzogu]

Not a fan of the design of the Pixel or iPhone. They both have these cold, sterile design that doesn't look like it was designed to be used and held by a human hand. It was designed to be looked at or for curated display in an Apple Store.

And what's with all the flat design, we need skeumorphism and warmth back in industrial and UI design.

I prefer the soap bar design which seems to have been forgotten. And no more glass backs please. I don't get the appeal of glass, they shatter so easily, finger print magnets and just add unnecessary weight.

[bleachedsleet]

> And what's with all the flat design, we need skeumorphism and warmth back in industrial and UI design.

I’d be interested to know your general age group.

I have a theory that skeumorphism is a cross-generational design trend that serves a purpose to articulate a radical new technological paradigm in a language that makes sense to people that have never experienced it (i.e. A radio app that looks like an actual radio because that’s what everyone grew up using). I think once people are fully immersed and familiar with the tech, though, skeumorphism is limiting and ugly. We don’t need radio apps that look like radios anymore because everyone should now know how digital interfaces work. We can abstract away dials and knobs and make better use of the space for something that fits better with the constraints of a screen rather than the constraints of the physical world. This harkens back to the old discussions around the save icon and how there is an entire generation clicking an abstract symbol that holds no meaning to them while the generation prior comfortably recognized this symbol as “equivalent to archiving on my floppy disks.” Skeumorphism is really only intuitive to the first generation. Everyone that comes after just sees another (possibly ugly) abstraction that makes just as much sense as the next one. Screens don’t need metal dials, plush felts, and eye-popping gauges where a simple shadow would otherwise suffice.

I mean this with no disrespect. We all have our own sense of aesthetic. Just a thought I’ve been ruminating on. Personally I find neumorphism [1] to be a pleasing blend of the positives of both skeumorphism and flat design and I hope to see more of it going forward.

[1] https://uxplanet.org/neomorphism-the-hottest-design-trend-in...

[asimovfan]

I think skeumorphism is just laziness in design. there is already an accepted design, why risk anything new?

[mouzogu]

In my 30s. I agree in that it is part nostalgia but I find flat featureless design to be very bland and uninteresting, what's more is that it's everywhere. now. Design is a fashion and so follows cycles, so i hope whats old will soon be new again.

[thrashh]

How do you differentiate that opinion from “skeumorphism came first so we all collectively got bored of it” and we like the current designs more simply because they’re newer?

[n8cpdx]

If they go plastic back, it looks and feels cheap. If they go metal, wireless charging breaks. I guess they could do alcantara or something. Tough spot to be in.

FWIW, the iPhone mini at least fits in my hand, so they get bonus points regardless of sharp edges. It does kind of stink needing a case to prevent it flying away.

I might just be a curmudgeon, but a lot of the newer tech products (iPhones being the exception) look really ugly to me. Pixel 6 and MacBooks being the most recent and serious offenders.

I think I’ve just accepted that we’re in a weird time for design and as long as the function is fine I’ll overlook the looks. Pixel 6 looks to me like it was deliberately designed to be so ugly people would talk about it. Same with new MacBook notch, which I wouldn’t mind if it looked exactly like the iPhone notch but larger. The curves are just off.

I guess this is karmic justice for me being so in love with Metro and flat UI ~8 years ago. I take comfort in knowing it’s cyclical and in a few years we’ll wrap around to Fisher-Price XP-style UI.

[fomine3]

Unpopular opinion: I prefer feel "cheaper" material like Nintendo devices. Such devices can be treat without hassle, and lightweight is important.

[dmitrygr]

> they shatter so easily

I felt this way too. I recently (and reluctantly) switched to an iphone 13 pro max. I've dropped it unto asphalt from > 2m without a case twice now (not on purpose) and neither front nor back has shattered. Whatever apple did to that glass is working! Maybe everyone else just needs to do the same thing to their glass?

[dzhiurgis]

Indeed all tests show its super strong, but also screen scratches incredibly easy. First scratch basically in a week. 1 year later it’s totally scratched, but doesn’t really impact performance unless you look for them.

[threatofrain]

If you're trying to build a look and feel which many other developers will follow then it has to be neutral in some way, something which can rely on minimal color + branding to build adequate distinction for the many companies who are to be in your ecosystem.

[asoneth]

I agree. I had a Palm Pre and tried a Palm Pre 3 and they were truly delightful objects to hold. Things like the Unihertz Atom and TCL Palm phone still exist but occupy a miniscule niche.

Though ultimately I get why slate/phablet phones won out with their larger screens.

[errantmind]

Agreed on the glass backs. Aluminium was way better. My Pixel 4 slides off just about anything, even surfaces that are just a few degrees tilted. Also, what is the point?

[melony]

They are also meant to fit well in a case.

[dzhiurgis]

> shatter so easily, finger print magnets and just add unnecessary weight.

Only weight is valid statement. Matte glass on iPhone is unbreakable.

[dreamer7]

As someone famous on YouTube says -

"Glass is glass. And glass breaks"

[mouzogu]

I have an iPhone X that would disagree with you :D

Dropped it from pocket height and is completely shattered.

[satvikpendem]

Unbreakable? I highly doubt that.