We should expect to see an update to the look of iOS 7, something that hasn't changed since the release of the original iPhone in 2007. The man who is heading up those efforts is Apple design genius Jony Ive, the senior vice president of industrial design at Apple who was also given the role of providing leadership and direction for Human Interface across the company.
Ive is a legend in the tech world; he has been the lead designer on most of Apple's biggest hits. He designed the iPhone, iPod, iMac, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPod Touch and both the iPad and iPad mini. Ive was given his second role at Apple in October after the company ousted Scott Fortsall, who was senior vice president of iOS. Apple said at the time that the company wanted "collaboration across hardware, software and services," so the company chose the man responsible for designing its most iconic products. He would now also be taking part in the design of iOS.
The Wall Street Journal is reporting that we will begin to see Jony Ive's touches when Apple unveils iOS 7:
"Some suggested that in Apple's next mobile operating system, Ive is pushing a more 'flat design' that is starker and simpler, according to developers who have spoken to Apple employees but didn't have further details. Overall, they expect any changes to be pretty conservative. For the past few years, Apple has unveiled versions of its mobile operating system in the summer.
Design is one example of the increased 'collaboration across hardware, software and services' that Apple said it was aiming for when Cook pushed senior vice president and mobile software chief Scott Forstall out of the company last year."
Apple is taking the approach of "if it's not broke don't fix it," unlike its Android rival who has made repeated major overhauls to the design of its UI through the years.
