Vision Pro Apps look boring
It's Finally Time
There has been a flurry of excitement on social media this past week, as developers showcase their apps in anticipation of the release of the Vision Pro in early February. New product releases don't come around often, so there's a real sense of anticipation in the air in the indie development community.
I've always been one to rely on Apple's design principles for my apps, adhering closely to the Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) and sticking to the defaults as much as possible. This approach offers several advantages for users and developers alike, such as familiarity, simplicity, and accessibility, to name a few. However, strictly adhering to these guidelines can sometimes result in apps lacking character and individuality. Apple handles this challenge effectively by using colour and varying the UX to distinguish their apps. Developers have also discovered ways to extend system features, crafting innovative and novel solutions to common flows and interface elements. This level of creativity comes with time to experiment and familiarity with the platform.
Where's the Innovation?
Based on the evidence I've observed, the same follow the HIG approach doesn't seem to be working as effectively for the Vision Pro. Apple has invested considerable effort in streamlining development for the Vision Pro, taking existing apps and interface elements, polishing them (with a glass effect), and guiding developers to avoid pitfalls associated with designing for a 3D interface, like excessive motion or visual clutter that could confuse or even make users feel unwell.
However to me this has resulted in many of the apps I've seen lacking a distinct character. Their screenshots appear bland, making it challenging to distinguish one app from another. To be clear I'm not exempting myself from this criticism either. Individually, the apps can look impressive due to Apple's groundwork at the platform level. However, as a collective, these apps fail to make the same impact.
This generic experience is mostly intentional on Apple's part, designed to make on-device usage more user-friendly, easier to grasp, and seamless for context switching. Nevertheless, I can't help but believe and hope that there is more to come.
When the big players aren't even releasing an app at launch, was I expecting too much of community?
Excuses, excuses
The situation has not been helped by the fact that nearly all developers have had access only to a simulator, making it difficult to fully grasp gestures, interaction and visually how things will work on device. There's more of a gap between the experience on the device and that of the simulator with this product than there has ever been.
Timing is also a concern. Despite Apple's announcement of the device back in September, the lack of clarity regarding the release date has left many developers, including myself, unable to commit to a specific completion date for our apps. I was convinced that we wouldn't see the device until March, allowing more time for experimentation. Additionally, the payoff is a source of worry, given the limited number of devices expected at launch, with access restricted to the US market. This makes it harder for developers to invest in more abstract ideas, unless they view it primarily as a passion project or an opportunity for exposure.
There's still hope
My hope is that over the coming months, we will witness developers pushing the boundaries of user experience beyond the current limitations. I anticipate seeing innovation in interaction design, visuals, and collaborative experiences that the expansive canvas of the Vision Pro deserves.
I am eager to see what the community comes up with and will continue to share my experiments in this space. Once the 2nd Feb launch is out the way of course.