Apple TV Interface Design

I’ve been enjoying my Apple TV for a while, especially since the update a couple of months ago.  Renting movies is a breeze, and I keep up with quite a few video podcasts that are as good or better than anything similar I’ve seen on cable.

I’m pretty surprised by the interface though.  It’s simple and clean, as one expects from Apple, but compared to the brilliance of the iPhone interface it is clumsy and disjointed.  The main menu is functional but not at all pleasurable or delightful to use – in fact it’s utilitarian.  Once you click through to a section there’s an inconsistent variety of browsing options, from lists to grids of cover artwork.  Again, these are functional and stripped down to the important essentials (which does deserve some credit) but they’re not the wow experiences I’ve come to expect.  

I’m particularly critical of this interface because I think there’s a lot to learn from any TV or touch screen experience like this.  The mouse driven experience, as we’ve become accustomed to on computers, has resulted in a lot of highly (overly) complex interfaces where the burden is put on the user to understand and operate the features.  The simplicity that’s required of a TV or touch screen interface should really be applicable to *any* interface design.  Where to find a good example?  Yes… the iPhone.

Filed under: 3D, creative delivery, style, trends, user interface, user-centred