
Design Details of Google Maps for iOS - sgdesign
http://sachagreif.com/design-details-of-google-maps-for-ios/
======
timdorr
> After Apple’s heavy-handed realism and Microsoft’s harsh minimalism, it’s
> nice to see that Google are also beginning to find their voice.

This is what I'm finding to be most exciting. Gone are the days of Google's
barely-there, browser default-ish "designs" for their web apps. There's a
visual language the company has started to adapt that isn't half-assed and
actually has a lot of thought put into it.

It's the same reason I appreciate Metro from Microsoft. I don't necessarily
like Metro, but the consistency not just within singular products, but
_across_ their entire product portfolio is something that makes their
alternative to Google or Apple seem appealing.

Apple's had a consistent design language for years and that's why we've all
gravitated towards them to some extent. I've been a fan of Google for the
functionality for years, but now I can finally say I appreciate their product
design just as much.

~~~
gdubs
Agreed, though the newest Lion releases have had some really nice and subtle
treatments in certain places. Definitely excited to see where Ive will take
Apple's UI.

~~~
nodata
Can you give us some examples?

~~~
gdubs
I like the popover styling, the notification alerts, toolbar items in programs
like safari and Xcode... There seems to be a subtle tweaking throughout the
GUI. Maybe slightly tighter bevels / rounded corners, more readable text,
subtler shadows/shading, etc.

------
netcan
Just a step back for perspective comment:

 _"I don’t have a car, so the lack of public transportation in Apple’s Maps
app pretty much makes it useless to me"_

Apple’s Maps app is still a searchable, zoomable easy to use map of the whole
world that knows where you are! A few years ago this would have been the most
comprehensive, user friendly anyone had ever seen. We are all characters in a
Louise CK bit. 5 minutes between discovering some incredible futuristic
technology that we didn't know was possible to feeling like we deserve it and
getting angry at the incompetence when it doesn't work perfectly.

~~~
sgdesign
Umm, all the fancy 3D in the world won't really help me if my maps app can't
tell me how to get from point A to point B.

This is not a case of "it doesn't work perfectly", it's a case of "it doesn't
work _at all_ " (for my use case, at least).

~~~
Terretta
GP said nothing about 3D. I took zoomable to mean vector.

Also, I have used both (iOS 6 Apple Maps, iOS 5 Google Maps) side by side
heavily in Rome (urban) and Sabine Hills (countryside), and found Apple Maps
far faster to navigate, easier to find my place and food POIs as a pedestrian,
and noted the vaunted iOS 5 Maps had no transit knowledge whatsoever, neither
busses, nor trams, not even metro. (I preferred Navigon over either of them
for driving.)

Similar comparisons hold true in Manhattan (except of course it does support
transit as long as you're not underground), rural western North Carolina, and
SoCal. Seems evident the “Apple Maps are Useless!” meme is overblown.

iPhone owners were missing turn by turn for driving ("point a to point b"),
and iOS 6 maps provided that. It had to be done.

------
RyanZAG
"After Apple’s heavy-handed realism and Microsoft’s harsh minimalism, it’s
nice to see that Google are also beginning to find their voice."

This seems very true with the Holo look on Android as well - Google is going
very heavy with the 'roadsign' style (flat, colors for emphasis, icons convey
meaning, text looks similar to government forms, etc). I'm guessing there is a
design name for this type of look?

On the surface you might confuse the Metro style with Holo in that they both
use similar design elements - but while Metro tries to go towards 'digital
minimalism', Holo/iOS maps seems to go more towards 'paper minimalism', as
used by official forms and the like.

Also as a note: Apple did originally use the vertical transition in a lot of
their apps - it was part of the original iOS design guides, etc. You can use
it easily in any app with the popup screen call.

~~~
oboizt
kind of like Bauhaus style? I think that's where Metro was inspired from too

------
louischatriot
I especially like frustration detection. Such a great way to react at the
right time and stop a user's anger at the right time. I wonder if this could
be possible on computers too, by using an ambient movement sensor or simply
the webcam?

tldr version of the article: <http://tldr.io/tldrs/50c993061bfffa6a5e000730>

------
mmahemoff
The Side Menu seems to be a pattern borrowed from Android, which is now being
used in a lot of iOS apps, e.g. Facebook and Path.

~~~
mtgx
Downloaded the just released Google Currents 2.0 app yesterday, and I really
like that side menu. So much better than a physical menu button or even a
software menu button on the app.

[https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.and...](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.currents&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5nb29nbGUuYW5kcm9pZC5hcHBzLmN1cnJlbnRzIl0).

------
ctruman
great analysis of the app

