Case Study

Finder for iPad

Concept Work

After the introduction of the new iPad Pro devices in October 2018, it became obvious that iOS means the biggest limitation to the iPad and not the hardware anymore.

Since then probably every tech reviewer complained about the limitations of iOS, like The Verge, MacStories, MKBHD, 9to5Mac, Mashable and many more. The software is holding the hardware back, this is why the iPad cannot be a fully functional and convenient laptop replacement.

I also use an iPad Pro 11″ and face with these limitations on a daily basis, so I thought instead of just complaining, I look at this as a product design challenge and experiment with different solutions.

Key Pain Points

Most of the limitations of iOS that are holding the iPad back from becoming a true laptop replacement can be categorized into two different groups.

The first group is the lack of true, desktop-class file management.

The following pain points can be categorised in this group:

Managing files from external hard drives, network attached storages and servers on a native, system level.
Having customizable file view modes including column view.
Better file type compatibility.
Quick Look integration.
The ability to have multiple tabs when working with files.

The second group is about having more advanced multitasking.

Being able to interact with 3 apps at the same time without limitations in landscape view.
Being able to easily rearrange opened apps in the multitasking view.
Having the ability to switch between multiple opened apps in Split View multitasking without losing context.

As a bonus, everyone is missing a system level dark mode in iOS, so I thought I also add this to my list. Using the iPad in low light and dark environments could be much more comfortable with dark mode.

These main issues were also mentioned in one form or another in every single review, tweet and comment I read in this topic.

The Challenge

During the last couple of weeks, I set myself a challenge to design possible solutions for these key pain points, while keeping in mind the following criteria:

The design concept has to fit into the existing iOS design language and be in line with the Human Interface Guidelines.
It has to provide an easy-to-access and simple solution to all problems and issues mentioned in the Key Pain Points.
It has to feel familiar to existing iPad users.
All the existing features have to function the same way as before, so users who don’t want to use their iPads on a professional level can still interact with the devices just like before without learning new patterns of interactions.

Design

During the design execution, I divided the concept into 5 different parts and stages based on the key pain points and challenges.

Managing files from external drives

I started the design process by creating a new, flexible sidebar, which is the combination of the existing sidebars of the Files app for iOS and the Finder app from macOS.

The storage indicator at the bottom of the sidebar changes contextually depending on the selected location and provides essential information to the user at a glance.

Managing files from external drives are just as easy as managing local files. The user can still use the drag-and-drop gesture to copy files from one location to another.

Desktop-class file management

Having tabs and column view makes it easier to manage a large number of files at once and helps with orientation in deep and complex folder structures. This is why these features are so popular on desktops as well.

In case the user needs more real estate to work with files, the sidebar could also be resized or hidden. Quick Look is one of the most loved features on macOS, which allows the user to see the content of a file without opening it. Having it on the iPad would make a lot of workflows more efficient and less time-consuming.

New advanced multitasking

Having the ability to interact with 3 opened apps at the same time could be really useful sometimes, especially on the larger iPad devices.

The biggest change in this new advanced multitasking is that it’s not limited to 2–3 apps at a time. Instead, it’s an infinite line of apps running side-by-side and the user can easily switch and swipe between them with a 3-finger-swipe gesture.

Combining the new multitasking with the existing Slide Over view

Having a new multitasking feature doesn’t mean that the existing Slide Over and Split View are no longer available. Both of them are working just like before.

Plus, there’s a possibility of combining Slide Over view with the new multitasking, hence having a pinned app, which remains fixed while interacting with the rest of the apps in line.

Dark Mode

Nowadays, it seems like there’s no design concept without dark mode.

But aside from looking cool, dark mode makes a lot of sense on the iPad, since many iPad users use their devices during the evenings for media consumption when the lights are dimmed in the room.

Having a system-level dark mode would make the whole experience of using the iPad in low light environments much more comfortable and resting to the eye.

Just like on macOS Mojave, the dark mode in iOS would change the appearance of the dock and all the apps with a single tap and it would be easily available from the Control Center.

Takeaway

This concept was an excellent opportunity to dive deeper into the iPad user experience and experiment with different solutions to take it to the next level.

It was also an excellent learning opportunity to push the limits of InVision Studio prototyping capabilities to create truly high-fidelity experiences way faster than I expected.

This challenge was super motivating for me to increase my awareness of design problems we face from day to day when interacting with our iPads. I believe we shouldn’t be satisfied with the existing solutions without questioning them and trying to constantly improve them. Instead of complaining, creating our own solutions as designers is really powerful.

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