That’s what Craig Federighi, Sr. VP of Software Engineering at Apple, said about iOS 7, and I completely agree. I was at WWDC in San Francisco when Apple unveiled iOS 7, the latest version operating system for the iPhone and iPad. Here are my thoughts on the most exciting changes:A complete redesign. Apple decided to totally change how everything looks on the iPhone. The cleaner, simpler user interface (UI) puts all the focus on your content, using every pixel possible without wasting any space. iOS 7 encourages you to design your app edge-to-edge rather than being inset or surrounded by borders. By getting rid of boxes around buttons, and eliminating gradients and shades, Apple has removed the “chrome” so your content gets all the attention.
New fonts. Apple also designed new, cleaner fonts that are easier to read at all sizes. Users can specify type size not by number but by purpose: heading, subhead, body copy and so on. With iOS 7, you can change your type size in one place and have that change carry over globally to all your content. The new fonts and better legibility also go a long way in advancing accessibility and usability. It all feels so natural, you don’t even think about usability.
UI dynamics. Apple has built a physics engine into the UI that really opens up some interesting possibilities. Apple has always been a big user of animation, but iOS 7 truly makes your content come alive. With a flick of the finger, your image scrolls down to the bottom of the screen and bounces back up again just like bouncing a ball in real life.
With the iOS 7 announcement, Apple wants us to rethink the way we create apps, using a more simple and elegant UI. For complex apps, like those that will tie into EMR systems, iOS 7 will make it easier to present data-rich user interfaces with the ability to animate views, and expand or shrink as needed.
The new look, improved fonts and a UI that makes your content come to life will definitely inspire some amazing new apps for healthcare.