iPhone GUI Inconsistencies: Take 1

Actually, the only inconsistency I see is that Notes uses "+" for new note and SMS/Mail uses "compose". I think SMS/Mail should use "+" too.

As many have said, the icons make sense in their contexts.
1) "Compose" (or "+") is icon for action _within_ app.
2) Action that launches another _application_, uses application icon, i.e. "envelope".
3) Sharing is also different, because sending mail is just one of the many possibilities.

And here we have the issue associated with "ease of use" when referencing mobile phones. Mobile phone UI has come a long, long way from what they used to be. It's not something you can get right overnight. Nokia, almost unanimously, is known for their very simple and functional UI (it was their main selling point with consumers). These manufacturers spent over a decade through trial and error. Even Nokia's once vaunted easy to use UI is now pretty darn horribly complicated.

The simple explanation for that is really the sheer amount of features, hardware and inter-related use the mobile phone is used for. The more you have in it, the more grotesquely difficult it gets to use. What was once, easy to use and consistent UI becomes quite messy. While I detest the hype of the iphone, it's not something we should blame Apple for in this mobiel environment.

We're talking about them trying to create a good user experience and ease of use on their first product when the other major brands have had years (decade) of user feedback and real-world, battle tested UI experience to fall back on. Considering all that, it's not so bad that the iPhone UI is inconsistent. Oft times, manufacturers have to compromise consistency and ease of use for functionalities sake. As a designer, I understand this, as would most other experienced designers.

Believe me, Iphone UI will just get more and more difficult and inconsistent as the years roll by. Right now, there aren't that many glaring holes in their UI simply because it's still a pretty basic feature phone compared to what the other heavyweight manufacturers produce on a regular basis. That's not even getting into what korean and japanese handsets are capable of now.

It's a learning experience that apple will eventually figure out how to make things even simpler to use on future iphones. Just be prepared for the inevitable "click 5 or 6 times" to reach important settings etc... Just the nature of the beast I'm afraid.

Just want to chime in and say Apple got this one right. Different context call for different icons.

I agree with this general criticism *and* the people who are saying that in each context it makes sense.

I don't think you need to have the same name on the button for sending an email or that the email button needs to be in the same place in different contexts but if a button results in an email, it would be nice to have a consistent picture, such as the envelope on the button. This would serve the same function as the "..." on a menu item, it gives the user a warning of what action will occur from engaging that function. In the case of "..." its opening a dialog box for the next step, in the case of iPhone an envelope picture would communicate that the sharing will occur by an email message you are about to complete.

Second, from the little playing with the iPhone I have done, I find the biggest inconsistency in the UI is that the "new item" (message, contact, item, email) does not seem to be in the same place all the time. They also have inconsistent pictures. I'd personally like to see the + across the board - since that seems to be the symbol Apple has adopted in many UI's.

I also find that the button to go to the previous step does not seem consistent to me.

To add my 2 cents...
send this to Apple where they just might take it seriously...
I don't own an iPhone yet so this doesn't bother me one bit I suppose I should thank you for letting me know what all these little buttons are so when I eventually get one I can figure out what to do with them (if they haven't changed them by then) There I just copied and pasted this whole blog post into to SketchBox.

The design criticisms about action button placement and appearance are fair.

However, they could also apply to desktop apps, particularly the iLife suite: eg, buttons, menu commands, vulcan pinchlocks to do things such as publishing, sorry sharing, sorry exporting, or whatever it's called in GarageBand, iMovie, iPhoto, etc, etc.

And don't get me started on the inconsistency of command key shortcuts that power users love. command-delete (Finder) vs option-delete (iTunes) vs option-command-delete (iPhoto) for an action which is essentially the same thing.

I think the reason for both iPhone and iLife inconsistency is simply:

DIFFERENT TEAMS WORK ON DIFFERENT PRODUCTS. There is not enough communication between them. And there is no UI czar overseeing their decisions.

John Geleynse, you need more power, dude!

I was going to agree with Elliot, then James, but the list of people who think you're out to lunch just got too long. Go back and look at all the UI changes posted between the iPhone shown at MacWorld and the one that shipped. Things have been work, worked, and reworked. "Rushed"? Honestly, they may never have shipped the damn thing if they kept holding more focus groups. The BEST feedback is always going to be from customers. People in "NOTES" may not think "sharing" a note is what they want, yet a simple "e-mail" icon is more than clear enough if they want to send it off. Notes is a perfect example of a native app with a more creative interface. Don't tell me every app is required to have clear text or that every text button should also be married to an icon. Loads of garbage in my book. We're about the enter the second round of criticism with the new features in the pipe.

With select/paste coming into play, I'm sure they're be even more for people to criticize needlessly (or even justifiably). I still like pinch, flick, tap, throw and tilt, personally. If you're going to talk about consistancy... how about allowing tilt in all the apps (and all sections), or allowing "throw" (the act of flicking horizontally) to go "back" from "now playing" all the way to the root of the iPod section (instead of only one step outward). That's "consistency" that makes more sense.

I think more over...how come I can't type notes or mail messages sideways? I'm more proficient in one button or two fingered "cramped" style, but I would like to see the mail and notes section turn sideways. Who cares if I can't see all of what I am typing, I just would like that ability.

Also, I was curious whether notes would get an upgrade to allow for smart listing of 1, 2, 3 or A, B, C the way that "other" company does in their Word program...

I think it's minor, but something I would like to see.

As far as the current posting woes, I would agree that sometimes I do hit the wrong button out of stupidness...but I also hit it, because I'm so darn excited showing off my new two. Hell, Apple should be paying me, since I have gotten a few people to go and get one!

I've noticed little inconsistencies like this, too, but what you're mentioning is basically different ways to get to the e-mail app, not different ways to compose email. These are very distinct functions and can easily vary within applications. Here's one - has anyone else noticed that when deleting a photo or a note the trash can shakes, but when deleting an email it doesn't? This is completely nitpicking, of course, but it does seem that some of the teams were working in an isolated environment. Who knows, really? Another inconsistency is that most apps animate in with their own title bar indicating the signal strength, wi-fi, time and battery status - even though the main screen has it all there already. The Photos, Stocks, Weather, Calculator and Notes apps do not bring their own in, but instead they fall underneath the existing one and the Photo app actually adds a little gray bar behind it. [huge gasps from the crowd] When it comes down to it - big whoop - yet it is inconsistent.

I think the buttons/controls are consistent within the context of the individual application. It would look a bit odd, and probably more confusing, if it was the exact same in every single app and I don't think it takes away from the ease of using the iPhone.