When Apple announced iOS 7 there was already a huge amount of material on the web providing mockups and guesses about what the update would look like and if you were an iOS developer it was time to get excited. Once Cupertino had unveiled the real deal, designers across the globe jumped into overdrive, absorbing, criticizing and reflecting on Apple's approach. One of the best places to see this in action is the community design-shots site, Dribbble (opens in new tab). As well as providing a live stream of inspiration, some shots have attachments with useful resources either as a framework for your own designs, or as a learning tool allowing you to deconstruct how another designer has approached a particular problem.
We've had a good old dig through Dribbble, looking for examples of iOS 7-inspired work that are useful, interesting or both. We've pulled out some of our favourites below...
ICONS
01. Rebound Icon (opens in new tab)
This shot is a rebound of another designer's icon build, but includes a PSD attachment that makes it easy to deconstruct the icon and use the framework to build your own.
02. iOS 7 icons in vector (opens in new tab)
This is a useful collection of free icons drawn in their minimal form, incorporating only line work. There are also a useful set of rebounds that further develop the ideas, and are well worth checking out!
03. Sevenesque Vol. 2 (opens in new tab)
A nice collection of icon designs embracing flat colours and simple shapes. This has a handy .zip file attached to the shot.
04. Safari Icon Golden Ratio (opens in new tab)
Designer Murid Rahhal has created a fresh approach to the new iOS 7 Safari icon, using the golden ratio as a guide to help determine the weight and position of the different elements. The result is a masterclass!
05. A better grid (opens in new tab)
This shot is all about getting the structure right, and the designer - Steffen Andersen - has provided an Illustrator file with his interpretation of what an app icon grid should look like.
APP MOCKUPS
06. Spotify (opens in new tab)
This shot includes five different mockups covering an imaginary revamp of the Spotify app for iOS 7.
07. Nike Running App (opens in new tab)
This shot is interesting in the way it compares the skeuomorphic current app against the designer's re-imagined interpretation. The result is a cleaner, easier-to-read interface and a useful lesson in how small tweaks can have a big effect on the overall user experience.
08. Path (opens in new tab)
This is a flat-design mockup of Path, the popular life-blogging app. It's interesting because the app incorporates many icons as part of the existing user interface, including a pop-up carousel of actions, which the designer in this case has replicated without the pseudo-3D effects.
09. Mail (opens in new tab)
This is part of a series of mockups created by designer Avinash Tripathi to reflect a new concept for Apple's Mail app.
10. Contact List iOS 7 (opens in new tab)
Another re-imagining of one of Apple's core apps, this Contacts app concept is clean and simple in layout, with some interesting user interaction ideas.
USER INTERFACE
11. iOS 7 Redesign (opens in new tab)
This re-imagining of the user interface elements that make up iOS 7's new look. As with many of the resources we've found on Dribbble, the real value is in other designers rebounding shots - this example is itself a rebound of another designer's work.
12. Wireframing template for Fireworks (opens in new tab)
Lucas Briceno has provided a useful Fireworks template to make wireframing iOS 7 projects quick and easy!
13. Flat Icons Pack (opens in new tab)
Designer Ross Wilson has created a series of flat icons for Windows, but the artwork itself can be used for any purpose, and it's a useful expression of a particular aesthetic approach.
14. UI Design PSD (opens in new tab)
A handy PSD with pre-built UI elements incorporated. This is particularly useful as a starting point for your own mockups, although it's not exclusively iOS 7-related.
Of course, Dribbble not the only place to find advice and useful info. Also check out these great articles:
- Optimizing Apps for iOS 7 (opens in new tab)
- iOS 7: the app developer's guide
- 7 golden rules for creating brilliant iOS 7 icons
Words: Sam Hampton-Smith (opens in new tab)
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Have you spotted some useful resources on Dribbble that we should be telling the world about? Let us know in the comments below!
