Tastes in design are unique to individuals and change over years and decades; judged in 2025, it’s easy to find past examples one might not agree with.
But I’m not thinking of the superficial design so much as the underlying ethos informing such decisions. Early OS X got a lot right by focussing on usability. Skeuomorphism might not be in vogue today, but the iPhone was much more usable, approachable and discoverable compared to most mobile phone OSs of the day. The Apple UI guidelines have mostly stood the test of time.
I hope that Jobs (or Ive, for that matter) would’ve taken Liquid Glass in a very different direction, as the current offering seems to make things worse for users.
But I’m not thinking of the superficial design so much as the underlying ethos informing such decisions. Early OS X got a lot right by focussing on usability. Skeuomorphism might not be in vogue today, but the iPhone was much more usable, approachable and discoverable compared to most mobile phone OSs of the day. The Apple UI guidelines have mostly stood the test of time.
I hope that Jobs (or Ive, for that matter) would’ve taken Liquid Glass in a very different direction, as the current offering seems to make things worse for users.