A summary of updates all UX/UI/PM should know from WWDC 2021

A summary of WWDC 2021 from a designer perspective

Introduction:

AS a UX designer myself, I was excited to watch the WWDC 2021 last night, and find many topics are relevant to my daily work, some are a bit further away. Today, I have created a list of all updates in the WWDC 2021 keynote presentation that I personally think worth noticing by the User Experience Designer, Product Designer and Product Managers.

All items in this list are sorted in chronological order, grouped by platforms and marked when each topic was presented in the Keynote, easier for you to check the details if you want.

I hope this summary would give you a quick view of some of the most relevant topics mentioned in the WWDC Keynote presentation this year.

Summary:

This time there are all software announcements, no major design or product revolution, but lots of small improvements, many of them were from user researches.

Major UI/UX change

System settings UI change

System settings + major UI change: reuse of cards (boxed list view with left/right margins) as a grouping interface, also big & small cards at settings start screen providing shortcuts.

New Weather & map app logos

A few new default app logos (Map, Weather, Wallet, etc.) (25:52)

Bigger Siri logo & stronger animation

Bigger Siri logo & stronger animation

App Store App Product Page

App Store App Product Page: Multiple custom product pages to address different users of your app

#iOS15

Facetime + SharePlay

Facetime + SharePlay: Listen together to music, watch movies and series, share your screen, extend video to Apple TV, FaceTime Links (using a browser), while everyone is still watching in sync, with SharePlay API developers can bring their own apps right into FaceTime. (9:02)

iMessage new features & UX update

iMessage + UI update: The usage of grids and collages for visual elements like video and photos. Both have rounded edges. Use the carousel to slide through a collection of images, also use a double tab to trigger further actions of an image. (16:12)

Focus settings will automatically synced to other devices

Focus: A new way to match the device to current mindset: work, personal, based on location, time of day (18:58)

Notification Summary

Notification + UI update: New icons, large notification & Notification Summary (19:58)

Live Text, Capture and digitise notes with camera

Camera + Text Live: OCR embedded in the camera (23:05)

BMW digital car key integrated into the Wallet (later this year)

Wallet + Keys: Keys for everyday places, house, apartment, flat, car, office, hotels, also personal IDs, drivers licenses, etc. (29:09)

Weather shows animation based on the current weather conditions

Weather + new design: New design, changes according to weather conditions, added information on weather conditions. Full-screen high-resolution weather maps with multiple overlays (31:36)

New interactive map from Apple

Map + New UI & interactions: 3D map with more details, especially details in the highway & overlays for complicated intersections, when lost, scan buildings with a camera, AR shows the right direction (32:35)

New Map logo.

#AirPods

You can now find your AirPods back via FindMy

Find My + AirPods: Find lost AirPods and play sound, proximity view (37:05)

#iPadOS 15

New Home screen

New Home screen + new docker (41:39)

Managing widgets in the new iPadOS15

Widgets + New UI: New widget design can be added to the home screen, larger widgets that accommodate for iPads larger screen (42:06)

App Library is directly accessible from docker

App Library: Access is right in the dock, hide pages that you no longer need, or reorder them (42:57)

You can hide pages you’re no longer need

A new way of managing/hiding pages in iPad (43:17)

An enhanced split view design

Multitasking: Compose an email is now on top of the “split view” (43:56)

QuickNote allow you to create note anywhere

Note + New feature: Hashtag, mention people, activities, (46:10) System-wide QuickNote in browser & more (46:45)

You can now build apps on iPad, but only with Swift

Swift Playgrounds + iPad: Build apps on iPad (49:48)

I skipped many topics in between, mostly WatchOS related issues, because my job doesn’t involve watch (for the moment) and most importantly, I don’t have a watch. 🙄

#macOS Monterey

Universal Control: Single mouse and keyboard to move between Mac and iPad and iMac (1:25:35)

AirPlay to Mac can be a new way of work in the future

AirPlay to Mac: Forward screen from iPhone to Mac for example (1:27:39)

The new Safari UI does look quite refreshing, but what if I have too many tabs open?

Safari: Tab Groups, they sync to all devices (1:30:22) Extensions: New for iPad and iPhone

#Developer Technologies

Looks magical, I wonder how big an object can it capture

Object Capture: capture lots of 2D images to create a virtual 3D object (1:37:50)

Would InApp Events shift the AppStore new marketing campaign platform?

In-App Events: Sign-up to events, new App Store widgets displays upcoming events (1:42:29)

As I am not a developer, I don’t know the significance of it

TestFlight for Mac (1:46:12)

I hope this article gives you a quick peek at some design or product-related topics mentioned in the WWDC 2021 yesterday. Please do let me know how you think about it, what else do you want to know, also feel free to give me a thumb-up. Cheers!