Nathan SnelgroveFeb 1, 2023

Love @gruber’s take on this: https://daringfireball.net/2023/01/meanwhile_over_in_androidtown

I was just trying to explain this to a friend who couldn’t believe I was “an Apple fanboy.” (I’m a UX and web designer for a living, so come on.) Gruber says it much better than I do.

Meanwhile, Over in Androidtown

Spending a few hours perusing the state of the art in Android Mastodon clients gives me the distinct impression that Android is forever stuck in its Window 3.x era of UI polish and design. It’s rough.

Daring Fireball
Show threadJohn GruberFeb 1, 2023
@nathansnelgrove One thing I learned long ago is that people like us who prioritize design, UI, and UX can empathize with and understand the choices made by people who prioritize other factors (e.g. raw feature count, or software being free-of-charge). But it doesn't work the other way: most people who prioritize other things can't fathom why anyone cares deeply about design/UI/UX. Thus they chalk it up to being hypnotized by marketing or something.
Show threadMarc
@gruber @nathansnelgrove Hypothetical question John: If you were hiring a UI/UX designer for a non-phone project (e.g. web), and during the interview process you notice they have an Android phone, would that impact your view of them and whether they’d be a good designer?
Feb 2, 2023 at 1:39pmWeb
Show threadJohn GruberFeb 2, 2023
@imarc @nathansnelgrove It would raise an eyebrow but I’m sure the interview itself would clarify whether they have game or not.
Show threadJohn GruberFeb 2, 2023
@imarc @nathansnelgrove It wouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
Show threadAndreas SikkemaFeb 2, 2023
@gruber @imarc @nathansnelgrove Personally I would say that “It works with Chrome, so why bother” would be a much bigger problem.
Show threaddeutrinoFeb 2, 2023
@imarc WOW
@gruber @nathansnelgrove
Show threadJohn GruberFeb 2, 2023
@imarc @nathansnelgrove I've thought about this some more. I'd probably ask. What I'd like to hear is a cogent explanation why. I'd find that interesting. If instead the answer were “All the apps I use are the same on iOS and Android and I like the way this phone looks", the interview would end shortly.
Show threadMarcFeb 3, 2023
@gruber It would be interesting. Material Design did have some original ideas. I've not used Android for a few years, but the hardware back button and overflow menu never felt right.
Show threadJohn GruberFeb 4, 2023
@imarc Hardware back button crippled the platform for years.