alt Hacker NewsWhy do they do this? I just don't understand the regression in user interfaces in the major operating systems over the years. Is there some academic discourse about this? Is there some trend in UX or designer education that's produced this? It can't be just change for change's sake as there's a trend to minimize the OS chrome to the point that it's unusable.
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The trend is "less is more". For the past decade, UX designers have fetishized flat, monochrome, low-contrast designs with zero visual cues or opportunities for feature discovery. From what I'm to gather, their idea of a perfect computer is an empty white (or black) screen on which you can do absolutely nothing except yell out, "um, hey Siri? Are you there?"
I do wonder if we'll see the pendulum swing the other direction. We used to have UX designers that actually studied users and how best to mold the interface to them. I think now is the best time ever to get into UX design and make your mark by showing the world that software doesn't _have_ to be flat, lifeless, and radiused to hell and back in order to be great.
Its partly driven by wanting to match mobile design, but I think more putting more value on aesthetics and usability.
From a commercial point of view branding and how it looks is more important. People buy what looks simple - they are not going to spend time trying something out to asses what is simple.