Have you ever done the “nine dots” puzzle? It’s simple really. You draw four lines, and they have to connect all nine dots. It took me a few minutes to figure it out the first time, but when it hits you, it seems like genius. You have to draw outside the box.
Apple is just one of those companies that always surprises us with their attention to design. Wednesday’s announcement of the iPad 2 was not an exception.
Now, this was much anticipated, and the iPad 2 in and of itself is not all that remarkable. What is very remarkable is the cover. Apple designed a case for the first iPad that was a bit disappointing. I’ve only seen a few in person, and I wasn’t impressed. It’s just a case, not at all that remarkable. Sure, you can fold it to put the iPad in different positions, but that’s nothing new. It also seemed to add a lot of bulk.
But the Smart Cover is different. It’s magnetic, and the iPad itself was engineered to work with it. It’s all Apple Watch the 30 second video and be amazed, as even the video is brilliant. You get the idea instantly. The Smart Cover itself almost makes you want to buy the device—it’s that good!
Yet again, a great reminder from Apple to always think outside the box. We try to apply this thinking to every web design project we do, but it’s good advice for any discipline.
