Visual Masturbation to End at Apple?
So was Scott Forstall fired for a failed Maps apology, his difficult style within Apple or a design philosophy battle over minimalism and skeuomorphism?
Oddly, the issue of skeuomorphism has taken the front stage since the news broke about the Apple re-organization. I also remember reading about this design belief through Fast Company’s Co. Design article back in September 2012. The battleground was already in place.
Even as Jobs supported Forstall’s views on skeuomorphism, he also viewed Jonathan Ive (Senior VP, Industrial Design) as his “spiritual partner” [Forstall worked at NeXT and he joined Jobs to return to Apple in 1997 as part of the NeXT acquisition as a move to SAVE Apple with OS/X — Forstall continued with iOS, Passbook, Maps]. However, Jony hated skeuomorphism as did many of the other designers.
From Fast C@mpany:
But before Forstall, it was Steve Jobs who encouraged the skeuomorphic approach, some say. “iCal’s leather-stitching was literally based on a texture in his Gulfstream jet,” says the former senior UI
Source: fastcodesign.com
