As macOS users generally update quickly, it’s important that Tower adapts the design language of the latest macOS version. Not only does this provide the best performance, but also the best integration with the operating system - the environment in which the app is used. If you ask us, part of what makes Tower great is the fact that it’s a native Mac app. In fact, along with the news of the impending switch to Apple Silicon - Apple-made processors - for Mac hardware, these changes were enough for Apple to decide to turn up the version number for macOS Big Sur to 11! Catalina, the current version of macOS, has the version number 10.15, while macOS Big Sur is known as version 11.0. Menus look different, there are new system sounds, and more. The dock is redesigned, as is the notification center, and there is a new control center (another change brought over from iOS). There are many more changes in macOS Big Sur than covered here. Big Sur app icon design moving closer to iOS. Traditionally, app icons in macOS have featured a more realistic style than in iOS, and many Big Sur icons sport quite a bit of detail. While the icons have been updated to correspond more closely to their iOS counterparts, they do retain some macOS touches. These icons can be used in toolbars, sidebars and elsewhere.Īpp icons get a new style as well, with all icons now using a rounded rectangle shape. SF Symbols, a library of icons made by Apple previously available in iOS, is now included and used in macOS. Sheets have also been redesigned, now looking like modal popups, instead of folding down from the bottom edge of the toolbar.īig Sur accent color, rounded selections. Selections have a new, rounded look, and many controls have been redesigned.
Sidebars can now take up the whole height of the window.Increased spacing and more discreet icons contribute to the lightness of the interface.
Colors are lighter and contrast is decreased.One of the essential elements of the user interface, windows receive some prominent changes: Having covered the general trends, let’s take a closer look at some of the visual updates in Big Sur! The look of windows is a good place to start. With its increased spacing, reduced contrast and lighter icons, macOS Big Sur takes another step in this direction. Whether you’re viewing photos, reading, or browsing your files, the content is featured prominently while available actions aren’t always immediately visible. Making macOS feel more familiar for iOS-users reduces this overhead.Īpple has also been moving away from cluttered interfaces, towards sparseness and placing as much focus on content as possible. In an interview with MKBHD, Craig Federighi (Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering) mentions the mental overhead required when constantly switching between the different interfaces of iOS and macOS. While it’s true that there’s more to macOS Big Sur than copying iOS, and while it may be more appropriate to say that the design of both iOS and macOS reflect the direction of the technology industry and of Apple as a whole, this statement does have a point. Like OS X Yosemite, Big Sur seems to move in the direction of iOS visually. The Big Sur updates reflect some movements that have been going on for a long time.
However, as spectators, we can certainly discern some overall trends. What motivates the changes to the user interface, and what is the long-term vision that drives and shapes these changes from version to version? Only Apple knows for sure.
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