Today was the big day if you’re an Apple fan, and they announced not only new products, but also new technologies. But you’re a designer, right? So why does any of this matter to you? Because your clients may have expectations of what you can do with these new technologies as a result. If you want to keep up with the cutting edge, here’s your chance.
Watch OS2 and Native Apps
was announced back at WWDC, but today’s event showcased some of the native apps coming to the platform. With complications now available to developers, you’ll want to think about designing apps that can work within those parameters. For example, do you want your users to know when a flight is coming in or just see messages as they come? Complications are a big deal with the Apple Watch, so be on the lookout for some cool new things – or be the one making them.
There’s a New iPad: The iPad Pro
People have been asking for a bigger iPad for years, and now it’s here: iPad Pro. It measures 12.9 inches on the diagonal, and the features for it are pretty amazing. Interesting fact: the width of the iPad Pro is the same as the height of the iPad Air 2, making it ideal for split screen usage, something that’s coming with iOS 9. Plus, you can buy a physical keyboard/cover akin to the one from the Microsoft Surface, and there’s a new Apple Pencil. That last part is what you need to know.
Although app designers will want to design for the new 2732 X 2048 display, artists will want to use the Apple Pencil. It’s designed to act just like a regular pencil and be responsive to angles, pressures and so on, to adjust your drawing experience. Plus, you can use it with your free fingers to give you a truly hands-on feel. This Apple Pencil is the true game changer here for designers.
Oh, and one last thing: Adobe announced Photoshop Fix for the iPad Pro. In the demo, they showed how the app can do facial recognition, and they tweaked the model’s smile live. It was CRAZY.
Apple TV is Brand New and App-Centric
Own a TV? Of course you do. And now, with the new Apple TV, you can do all sorts of amazing things with apps, search, Siri and a ton more. It’s going to change the living room.
If you’re an app developer, or design for them, you’ll want in on this platform. With games you can create universal apps that work across the iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and Apple TV lines, which will make your users happy. And if you just want to create cool mock-ups of Apple TV apps, there are a ton of new visuals to work with.
There are New iPhones, and They Do 4K Video + 3D Touch
The last announcement of the day was the iPhone, which was pretty shocking in the grand scheme of things. As expected, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus are now upgraded to the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s plus, but the big deal here is the camera.
As usual, they upgraded the camera, and now it does 12mp images. But what goes further is the ability to record in 4k video, which is the next frontier in video production. Even if you don’t do video yourself, you may need to design mock-ups for your clients with that in mind.
As for the 3D Touch thing, this adds a new layer (literally) to app development. By pushing harder onto the screen, certain contextual menus will appear, giving your users added functionality. Again, you’ll want to have these for mock-up purposes if nothing else, and as a developer, you’ll want to consider how this affects the usability and intuitiveness of your app’s design. There’s a lot to much about with this one, so take your time to figure out what works best for you.
Are you excited about the new Apple products?
Kevin Whipps is a writer and editor based in Phoenix, Arizona. When he’s not working on one of the many projects in his queue, he’s looking for fun and irreverent things online to share with his friends.
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Hi! My name is Kevin Whipps, and I'm a writer and editor based in Phoenix, Arizona. When I'm not working taking pictures of old cars and trucks, I'm either writing articles for Creative Market or hawking stickers at Whipps Sticker Co.
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