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Ask Slashdot: Is the Rise of Skeuomorphic User Interfaces a Problem?

Posted by Soulskill on from the add-to-dictionary dept.

An anonymous reader writes "The evolution of user interface design in software is a long one, and has historically tracked the capabilities of computers of the time. Early computers used batch processing which, is mostly unheard of today, and consequently had minimal human interaction. The late 60s saw the introduction of command line interfaces, which remain popular to this day, mostly with technical users. Arguably, what propelled computer use to what it is today is the introduction of the ubiquitous graphical user interface. Although graphical interfaces have evolved, in principle they have remained largely unchanged. The resurgence of Apple saw the rise of skeuomorphic graphical user interfaces, which are now starting to appear on Linux. Are skeuomorphic designs making technology accessible to the masses, or is it simply a case of an unwillingness to innovate and move forward?"

11 of 311 comments (clear)

  1. Does it matter? by Microlith · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Specifically in the case of Linux, does the presence of skeuomorphic UIs in some applications really matter if the user decides "hey this sucks" and rips it out at the roots and installs something more to their liking?

    I don't think any evidence has been provided that shows such UI designs are better than a well laid out traditional UI, but people will try whatever they can. So long as it isn't rammed down my throat, that's fine.

  2. skeuwhatzit? by rueger · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Obviously someone just swallowed a thesaurus and burped out "skeuomorphic".

    The linked Wikipedia page describes it thus: "Many music and audio computer programs employ a plugin architecture, and some of the plugins have a skeuomorphic interface to emulate expensive, fragile or obsolete instruments and audio processors. Functional input controls like knobs, buttons, switches and sliders are all careful duplicates of the ones on the original physical device being emulated. Even elements of the original that serve no function, like handles, screws and ventilation holes are graphically reproduced."

    First, I'd argue that most software doesn't emulate physical artifacts - we don't "pull" open file drawers for instance. Second, this doesn't sound like anything that's really about GUI, it's just prettying stuff up - much like the concept of "skins."

    The Apple reference... oh sigh.

    --
    Three Squirrels
  3. Bad Design by countach · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I have to say I fall on the side of saying that skeuomorphic design is bad. The classic one is the latest iPhone podcast app which looks like an old reel to reel tape recorder. I mean I'm in my mid 40s, and I only saw one of these once when I was a tiny child, and even then it was obsolete.

    As for the leather bound notes and address apps, I've never owned a leather notes folder and I've never owned an address book with the letters down my side. My mum had one when I was a small child, but I haven't thought about such things for ages. As these devices expand into so many countries and new cultures, I'm sure these references are going to seem even more obscure and ridiculous.

    1. Re:Bad Design by Darkness404 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      I think the problem is how do you come up with attractive designs that don't borrow from the physical world. The thing about obsolete things is that they stay as that item in the mind and are often distinctive. Even when they don't stay as that item they still can be used as a concrete representation of an abstract concept, take for instance the floppy disk. Even if you don't know what a floppy disk is, you do know its the symbol for "Save" and I think that would be hard to replace.

      Sure, we could have spartan UIs with no decoration and they'd still be functional, but they'd lack the attractiveness and little touches like Apple's "stitching" on iCal, things that make Apple products what they are. The digital world is filled with abstract concepts that need an easy reference for people to use. Text takes up too much space if its supposed to be readable so a picture is about the only option and it needs to be distinctive and not easily confused with something else.

      --
      Taxation is legalized theft, no more, no less.
    2. Re:Bad Design by Guy+Harris · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think the problem is how do you come up with attractive designs that don't borrow from the physical world.

      As opposed to the problem of coming up with attractive designs that do borrow from the physical world, which is a problem that iCal and Address Book, by virtue of looking like ass in their skeuomorphic versions, don't solve.

  4. rise? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I would hardly say there's a "rise". The mail "envelope", the attachment "paperclip", the color "palette", the directory "folder" icon, the clock represented as an "analog dial", the video "movie reel"...

  5. Re:Shit Editors by narcc · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Thanks for doing the legwork on that for us

    Really? All you had to do was click the word; it's linked to the definition.

    It's less work that scanning the comments hoping someone would copy/paste the definition from the page to which that word is linked.

    --
    Required reading for internet skeptics
  6. I don't see the issue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It's just design. There are going to be some instances that work really well and others that are not so great. There will always be people that complain about things that look pretty, preferring to spend their time in front of a command line.

    Skeuomorphic design is just in fashion at the moment. Hardware goes through design fads too. Brushed aluminium, wood grain, gloss white, matte black, bright colours, etc.

  7. Re:Shit Editors by kingturkey · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Links don't appear in the RSS.

  8. Re:Shit Editors by mug+funky · · Score: 4, Insightful

    no, journalists are taught from day 1 to use simple language.

    not for dumbing down, but for brevity - time is money, and if you don't have to reach for a dictionary, you shouldn't.

    including the definition, or simplified part of it relevant to the article would have been appropriate and saved the ire of the /. hordes.

  9. Re:Shit Editors by Riddler+Sensei · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Functional input controls like knobs, buttons, switches and sliders are all careful duplicates of the ones on the original physical device being emulated.

    Ya know, I tend to opt-out of such knobs and manually provide a specific value if given the option. This isn't because of any basic objection to the whole concept, but rather because these knobs and sliders can be so poorly tuned and overly sensitive at times that coaxing the damned thing to land where you want it to can be difficult at times.

    That is, I KNOW I want the value to be 40 but I spend more than several seconds trying to not get it to land on 39 or 41.