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Comment by Lewisham | Hacker News Reader

Apple's highly questionable and deeply unfortunate skeuomorphism kick continues unabated. Now we're treated to a radio dial which died out in 1995, and playing podcasts presents a reel-to-reel, which died out in god knows when.

It's completely bizarre. I guess podcasts are a form of talk radio, but tying them to some ancient radio technology that anyone under the age of 18 will have never touched is mental. They're even called podcasts: they arose because of the popularity of the iPod! Insane.

Apple really need to sort their designers out. I wish we could somehow have Microsoft's new Metro design aesthetics on Mac OS X and iOS, then I could have the best apps and OS design, and the best UI to use with them.

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I don't think it's as heavy-handed as you suggest. Most of the app's navigation is handled by tableviews and collection views. The dial that you reference is really a sideways scrollview (albeit with a material skin)--this controls a non-skeuomorphic list in an intuitive way that isn't confined to the limitations of a physical radio's interface.

I'll grant that the tape deck is outdated, but it's a largely hidden little visual treat that suggests a hidden mechanism underneath AND provides visual feedback on playback speed.

Skeuomorphism is bad when it restricts the UI to the properties of physical objects, but in this case Apple hasn't done that.

The reel-to-reel heads got my hackles up for the same reasons Lewisham stated the moment I saw them in the screenshot, but once I realized they were only visible when you slid the cover art away, my opposition softened.

It's actually a nice touch in that it (subtly or not) reinforces the "under the hood" state of the UI when the additional controls are visible.

There's no way the Podcasts app could be using collection views, because it runs on iOS 5.

I'm using the term "collection view" in a generic way. Grid view-like interfaces appear elsewhere pre-iOS 6, like in iBooks for example.

I dunno, I think it's kinda fun. The app has some personality. I can certainly appreciate that some people don't like this style of design, but there are a lot of people who do, too. (Perhaps part of why we don't hear as much from them is because most of them don't know the word "skeumorphism"?)

Following up to myself, sorry:

If skeuomorphism is helpful, it's not generally because it gives familiarity with specific controls—we've all dealt with frustrating virtual knobs. It's that it gives a "face" (or, if you'd prefer, a "brand") to an app, which for some makes it more approachable. Lack of user confidence is often a major usability issue.

Also, and perhaps more importantly, it can visually differentiate sections within the app, making it easier to navigate and feel comfortable with the app's modes of operation. Users often get lost within a maze of twisty dialog boxes all alike. The real world tends to have many visual cues and context indicators that help people mentally build and organize hierarchies — for me, at least, it’s hugely easier to remember people if I have an image to associate with that string, i.e. a face to put with that name.

I like it. What's wrong with having a little fun? This isn't a UI to control a nuclear weapons platform or something. It's more like a UI to a game. No one uses standard win32/cocoa UIs for games. It would set the wrong mood. Apple wants these apps to be casual, comfortable and friendly.

I think it's clear now that Apple likes skeuomorphism. They've been using it in the design of their products for the last few years. I presume it is helpful to less technical people (especially on device like the iPad which is attracting a lot of new and older computer users).

They use this same radio design on the iPod nano radio (the first nano with a video camera). On that it's actually inconvenient and hurts the design. In this case I don't thin it really impacts either way.

My biggest issue with this design, unlike say, the leather bound Address Book, is that it's tied to a technology that the generation Apple would like to appeal to have never used. It's akin to changing the App Store to having hand written floppy disks. All the teenagers that Apple would love to attract have no attachment, or perhaps not even an idea, about the object Podcasts is designed about.

I agree that it probably is helpful to less technical people, but only when those items they call back to are ones the user is familiar with. Choosing a reel-to-reel is a terrible decision. 11 year olds today will have never known a world without an iPod. The iPod is the music player. At least Apple didn't try an iPod within an iPod, I suppose.

IMHO I think that's exactly why they do it: to create a personality for an app. Because their target group never actually used it, it creates an illusion of attraction to them and make them interest in trying out. Skeuomorphic based on present day object is not as fun since the user is already used to it. Calculator app that looks like a calculator is not fun.

At least Apple didn't try an iPod within an iPod, I suppose.

True, the music app on the iPod is called 'Music'. But do remember, the music app on the iPhone used to be called 'iPod'.

I think the people this app is aimed at are not young users. They have mostly grown up with podcasts. They know what they are. I think it for older people. The kind in their 60's/70's who's first computer is an iPad. They may have enjoyed talk radio, and might enjoy podcasts if they understood them. The radio dial section of the app seems like it would appeal to them and help with their understanding of it.

In general I don't like skeuomorphism but I think in this case it makes sense. Not to everyone but certainly to older people who don't understand the idea of podcasts.

The people who have never seen a reel-to-reel tape deck are already avidly using Apple technology. They may puzzle over this aspect of the UI, but they already know how to make it work with the more familiar controls (which are also available). Meanwhile older, perhaps less technically savvy users have a real-world analog to explain what's going on in the app. So, no harm for the savvy youths, some possible benefit for the older newbies.

>At least Apple didn't try an iPod within an iPod, I suppose.

Nope, but before they redesigned the Music icon, we had an iPod within an iPhone :)

http://i.imgur.com/1Ydjy.jpg

First of all it provides a visual cue as to the rate at which a podcast is being played at, a constant cue rather than an indicator that has to be found and read. For that reason, on a purely practical level it is useful.

More importantly though you seem to be suggesting that an interface should never make reference to the technologies that preceded it, for fear that a teenager might be made aware of something they've never seen before?

What a terrible thought, that someone might be encouraged to investigate analog audio technology. Why can't an interface be a history lesson too?

I just noticed that the spool sizes are also accurate indicators of duration. The two spools, how long you've listened for & how long remaining are another elegant way of visualising duration. Sometimes you are interested in time listened and sometimes time remaining, this provides a visual cue for both.

Smart, and again more expressive than a label.

Apple has been in love with skeuomorphism since the Apple Lisa, its first system that used an office metaphor. Apple's desktop OS uses 'files', 'folders', a 'trash bin', 'labels', 'tabs', and so forth.

I do agree that those don't belong in a next gen OS like iOS. They successfully got rid of the file cabinet, they have an opportunity to get rid of the other old world metaphors as well, alas they seem to prefer skeuomorphism for eye candy sake.

The modern, simplicity-loving, honesty-and-truth-seeking designer in me hates it.

But the consumer in me thinks it's really cool and wants to slide and press the thingies!

Aaaaarrrghghghg... so conflicted!!

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