Issue 27  April 15th 2022

Easy for a List of Reasons

Symbols shown at the top of Control Center on watchOS 8 can be tapped to open a details screen. This screen shows the symbol again (with the matching color) and adds a title and a subtitle that tell you what that symbol means. This is a great example of how our designs can help people by adding in information where our design might be using a shorthand for an idea. Also, notice how the symbols at that top are also on a small gray rounded rectangle, broadcasting a hint that they can be tapped.

Screen Half Full

A list with only a few elements in Apple Business Essentials still feels beautiful, full, and grounded. Each device on the Devices screen is given padding, a full width, and a shadow and uses centered alignment to add a little more theater and presence. This is a great example of how a design that will maybe always have only a few elements in it can use that knowledge to give each item a big feeling, both to make navigating the app easier and to keep the design from always feeling empty.

⇧⌘G on macOS Monterey opens a beautiful Go to Folder modal. The text field is a lighter gray than the list area below, and subtle rounding and padding throughout (like on the highlighted item) makes this design feel light and airy. This design is perhaps a great reference for the modern macOS aesthetic.

Sharing in Messages on watchOS 8 displays the message you are about to share right at the top of the screen. Even though this is a message that you were interacting with just a moment earlier, seeing it waiting here confirms that you tapped on the right message and aren't about to send a message you weren't meaning to. I think this is a great example of how an interaction that needs multiple steps (like selecting a message to share and then selecting who to share with) can be designed in a way to help people feel more calm and confidence with each step they complete.