Apple• Mac OS X • 1998 - 2001
I joined Apple in 1995, shortly after the launch of Mac OS 8.0. However by 1998 our team was dedicated to the transition to OS X (Aqua). In a massive overhaul we revisited most user-facing elements of the operating system. We had to innovate, adapt to a new UNIX system, and revitalize the brand - with its trademark ease of use - for Mac OS users and developers. I was responsible for many of the secondary pieces that hooked into the Finder, including the Copy, Open and Save dialogs.
simplify Save
In Mac OS X the goal was to minimize. Users want to quickly save a document and move on; developers need to add app-specific settings. The first concept was an Info-like "form" that allowed user to tweak critical document attributes.
Eventually a two-state design was prototyped and then implemented. A Simple state contained essential items: name and likely locations. An Expanded state allowed users to target a new location and access developer controls. Guidelines for providing good defaults, so users weren't unnecessarily forced to the expanded state, were detailed in the Aqua HI Guidelines.