I rarely use iTunes anymore, but after OS X offered up the iTunes 11 update, I figured I take it for a quick spin, given all the coverage I’d read about the drastic redesign.
After a few minutes, I noticed something was missing, Cover Flow.
Image from Wikimedia
As an unabashed design nerd wannabe, this made me a somewhat sad. I sometimes use Cover Flow, more in the Finder than in iTunes, but its removal signals the end of an era. Whether you used Cover Flow or not, you’ve probably used software influenced by it.
Cover Flow is an influential interaction that had far-reaching impact, providing users with a fresh, new way to browse through objects in a pleasing manner. Even though Cover Flow is essentially a nice-to-have interaction, I’ll miss it, kind of like the lose of the Start button in Windows 8, on a smaller scale.
I suppose the removal of Cover Flow could be a signal that Apple is moving toward a more flat design aesthetic. If so, it seems odd, given that Cover Flow has always been more natural for touch devices, even though it debuted before the iPhone.
Whatever the reason, I’ll miss Cover Flow and hope it will remain in OS X.
Find the comments.
I wasn’t aware of the origins of this (if Cover Flow truly was the original one to use it), but it can be found in Google’s Ingress game (when you need to move through your Ingress objects such as resonators and portal keys).
If you believe Wikipedia, Cover Flow was originally developed by a couple designers and purchased by Apple. You can find lots of derivative implementations out there bc it’s a great interaction design.