Redesign

Google Play Music gains redesigned interface and smarter, AI-driven recommendations

Christian Zibreg ∙ November 14, 2016

Google on Monday announced overhauled Play Music apps with smarter, AI-powered recommendations based on user location, activity and time of day are now available for iOS, Android and on the web. In addition, the app can optionally save your most recent songs and a few recommended tracks for offline listening, even if you forget to download them yourself. The revamped Play Music app is available on the App Store for free.

Not to be outdone by Google, rival Amazon this morning announced that its recently launched music-streaming service, dubbed Music Unlimited, is now available in the United Kingdom and expanding later today to Germany and Austria.

Apple Stores in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow getting next-gen makeover

Christian Zibreg ∙ August 19, 2016

As announced on the Apple Retail webpage, the company's three brick-and-mortar outlets located in Annapolis, Kansas City and Glasgow will reopen next week with next-generation design positioning them as gathering places for their communities with features like sequoia wood tables and shelves, a 6K video wall with seating called “The Forum” and more.

Here’s all-new Apple Music redesign from the ground up

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated June 3, 2017

The beautiful new design language in a revamped Apple Music is now a reality. According to Apple, the first tab within the app is now Library that gives you quick access to your songs as well as your downloaded music. A new Recently Added section makes it easy to pinpoint new songs and albums you've added to your library.

A refined Music app with an all-new Browse tab briefly appears on the new Apple TV

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 17, 2016

An upcoming Apple Music overhaul, allegedly slated for a WWDC introduction next month, is expected to kill the little-used Connect feature and add a new Browse tab, integrated lyrics and other enhancements. And now, a refined version of tvOS's Music app has been spotted briefly on the fourth-generation Apple TV set-top box.

Here’s how the new Instagram icon came to be

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 12, 2016

Instagram's drastic revamp which said good-bye to skeuomorphism with an all-white monochromatic interface and a rainbow-colored icon—not only for the main app, but also for Layout, Boomerang and Hyperlapse—has expectedly polarized fans and watchers alike.

A lot of people took to blogs and social media to vent their frustration with the new art direction for the beloved app they obsessively check multiple times a day.

But after all is said and done, this may not necessarily be such a bad move for Instagram. So, how did the new Instagram icon came to be and what was the reasoning behind its redesign?

Instagram revamps app with new icon and monochromatic interface

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 11, 2016

Facebook-owned Instagram today announced a major new version of its iPhone app with an overhauled user interface with bigger photos and an updated Home screen app icon.

“Inspired by the previous app icon, the new one represents a simpler camera and the rainbow lives on in gradient form,” explains the company. In addition, they've updated app icons for Layout, Boomerang and Hyperlapse, too.

Instagram is available free of charge on the App Store.

How to enable YouTube’s upcoming Material Design face lift ahead of release

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 11, 2016

YouTube is getting Google's Material Design refresh pretty soon and it looks pretty neat. Aside from the Upload button being replaced by the upload arrow graphics consistently used across Google's mobile apps, you'll notice a Material Design-inspired search field in the center.

More importantly, YouTube's new looks include the background color on the Channel pages matching the header image, rounded icons in the sidebar, more whitespace around videos in the video player and a few other minor changes.

Chrome users can have an advance look at the upcoming refresh right now. Here's how you can enable Material Design on YouTube ahead of its release, in just a few clicks.

Leaked screenshots show off minor design changes in upcoming iTunes 12.4 update

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 7, 2016

Apple is working on a minor update for desktop iTunes and MacRumors was able to obtain screenshots which show off several design improvements in tow for the app. This isn't the top-to-bottom overhaul we've been all waiting for though the changes in iTunes 12.4 should make this infamous Mac and Windows app a bit easier to use.

As per the leaked screenshots, iTunes 12.4 packs in a redesigned media picker, a persistent sidebar for quick access to different sections of your iTunes library, a slightly reworked mini player and a tad simpler menus.

Overhauled Apple Music to integrate lyrics, offer a new Browse section and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2016

9to5Mac's Mark Gurman has added some color to Bloomberg's report this morning which described an upcoming overhaul of Apple Music in broad strokes. According to Gurman's sources, the new-look Apple Music section within the stock Music app will be part of the overall iOS 10 refresh and include, among other things, lyrics integration.

The end-to-end overhaul includes ditching the colorful look in favor of a simpler, black and white design which emphasizes text. For example, the appearance of the albums view will no longer change based on the color of a particular album’s art.

A more intuitive Apple Music to launch at WWDC next month

Christian Zibreg ∙ May 4, 2016

Since its debut, Apple Music has received its fair share of criticism as fans complained about various issues, from the confusing, complicated user interface to a number of design inconsistencies. Thankfully, your prayers haven't gone unnoticed by the powers that be at 1 Infinite Loop, California.

As reported by Bloomberg, Apple is set to show off at WWDC next month a “more intuitive” version of Apple Music that should be easier to use.

This is what your Instagram app might look like soon

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 27, 2016

Instagram's reportedly been testing a fresh new design for its mobile application for iOS and Android, MacRumors discovered yesterday. If leaked screenshots are anything to go by, in adopting much of iOS's aesthetics the overhauled app sports a simpler, monochromatic look providing a cleaner, flatter appearance.

It's unknown when the new design will launch for everyone. For now, Instagram appears to be testing the forthcoming app refresh with a small subset of its massive user base.

YouTube’s revamped Home feed is smart, too, thanks to Google’s deep neural network algorithm

Christian Zibreg ∙ April 26, 2016

Google just said that YouTube's mobile apps for iOS and Android are gaining a revamped homepage design today. The newly redesigned Home feed within the mobile app has a clean look and a simple format “that invites you to discover and enjoy,” said Google.

More importantly, the overhauled Home feed now does a better job spotlighting content you might be interested in with smarter recommendations based on deep neural networks and larger high-resolution video thumbnails which make it easy to identify videos you want to watch.