It is expected that iOS 19 and macOS 16 will undergo the biggest design overhaul in years, and there is a suggestion to make.
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A recent report suggests that the upcoming Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) could mark a significant shift in the design language of iOS, macOS, and iPadOS. Although details are scarce, there has been mention of an effort to unify designs and usage metaphors across these platforms, partly influenced by visionOS, which operates on the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset.
Despite its high price, the Vision Pro has not made a substantial impact on the consumer market; however, it appears that Apple’s software designers find the interface metaphors based on vision and gestures appealing. This is said to be part of an initiative aimed at making the platforms more alike, as there are already notable similarities in the icons for Safari and Settings, with differences primarily in the shape of the icons.
It has been a while since Apple made a significant change to iOS and macOS. The desktop platform received a major update in 2020 with macOS Big Sur—the same year the first Macs with Apple Silicon were released. The last major overhaul in iOS dates back over ten years, when much of the original skeuomorphic design of the iPhone, where icons physically represented the objects they symbolized, was removed.
With the current iOS, it is evident that the design has evolved towards a flatter, cleaner style, a result of Jony Ive's work. This new effort could be an opportunity to integrate the various platforms into a coherent visual and functional whole. While identicality is not the goal, there are benefits in facilitating user comprehension when actions function similarly across the iPhone, Mac, iPad, and Vision Pro.
Despite hopes that artificial intelligence and a smarter Siri will help reduce confusion across platforms, integration within operating systems has not progressed as quickly as expected. The question arises whether Apple will be able to achieve a suitable balance between uniformity and differentiation for its broad user base. Additionally, the debate over a return to skeuomorphism could be considered, as having icons that resemble their functions may be helpful for beginners. However, the caution is that designing software that mirrors current hardware could lead to the software becoming quickly obsolete.
Finally, there remains uncertainty over whether the redesign of iOS 19 will be radical enough to replace iconic icons, such as that of the Phone app, which already seems outdated to younger generations. The upcoming WWDC promises to be a crucial event for the Apple ecosystem, with high expectations about the magnitude of the updates that could be presented.
