critique Archives - Page 2 of 2

My Beef With the iOS 26 Tab Bar

iOS 26's search tab resembles a button rather than a tab, causing confusion for developers. This design choice leads to predictable UI principles being violated, as developers treat it as a primary action button instead of a navigational tab. Apple hasn't provided adequate solutions for integrating reachable primary actions alongside tab navigation, forcing developers to work around the limitations, resulting in inconsistency across apps. Users are confused by this design change, which blurs the line between navigation and action, undermining the expected coherence of the iOS platform.

https://ryanashcraft.com/ios-26-tab-bar-beef/

Choosing a Driving Route in CarPlay

apple, critique, ui

Apple's CarPlay UI for choosing driving routes is flawed, as users can't tap anywhere on route descriptions, only on the Go button. This contradicts their historical design philosophy, which allowed labels to be clickable. This inconsistency raises concerns about Apple's adherence to long-standing UI principles.

https://leancrew.com/all-this/2026/01/choosing-a-driving-route-in-carplay/

It’s Hard to Justify Tahoe Icons

critique, design, icon, macos, ui

Apple's macOS Tahoe introduces confusing, cluttered icons that hinder user experience, contradicting the basic principles of icon design. Icons should differentiate functions, maintain consistency, and avoid overwhelming users. Tahoe fails in these areas—overflowing with icons that lack distinction, clarity, and metaphor relevance. The article critiques Apple's icon choices, asserting that design principles dating back to 1992 still apply, highlighting the design's adverse impact on usability in contrast to historical guidelines. Overall, Tahoe represents a poor execution of icon integration in user interfaces.

https://tonsky.me/blog/tahoe-icons/

Last Year on My Mac: Look Back in Disbelief

critique, macos, ui

Summary: Author reflects on visual interface changes in macOS Tahoe, expressing disappointment with unaddressed issues post-release, including excessively rounded corners that hinder content display, unclear controls, indistinguishable app icons, poor contrast in light and dark modes, and confusing transparency effects. The critique emphasizes that these design choices complicate usability and reduce accessibility, calling back to previous superior interface experiences.

https://eclecticlight.co/2025/12/28/last-year-on-my-mac-look-back-in-disbelief/