I find that the iPad is one of the most intuitive devices to use, if not the most intuitive device I use. Apple just got it right. This is an example of a product that is truly a pleasure to interact with.

I finally got around to upgrading my iPad to iOS5 today and was surprised at this interface inconsistency after turning the device on for the first time. This is relatively minor, however normally I am not confused about what to press when I’m using the iPad, especially with a native Apple interface. Here is a detailed look at the interaction progression.

I turn on the device for the first time and get the message that the restore is complete. From here, the obvious way to proceed is hitting the large “continue” button.

I decide to enable location services, so I select that option, which is in the same place where “continue” was.

Here is where I became confused. I received visual feedback that my selection was recorded from the check mark, but I didn’t know the next way of proceeding.

After scanning around the screen for much longer than I am used to, I realize the “next” button changed to the familiar blue color that indicates it is now clickable. I even hit “back” and did this process again to watch the “next” button go from unshaded to blue after making a choice about the location services option, just to make sure that is what happened.

This is the standard Terms and Agreement page, and here the way to proceed is the “Agree” button. This is fairly obvious, however the button has been moved from the top right to the bottom right.

The iPad lacks the intermediate feedback layer a mouse affords

I think this issue highlights the unique interface challenges touch screen devices face. This is something I have been meaning to blog about in more detail, but I’ll introduce the idea...

The tooltip/mouse hover is something I have come to rely on in my interactions with many desktop programs as well as web apps. The mouse hover is an example of how the user can receive feedback about a selection before actually making it. The iPad does not afford this same intermediate feedback layer, since the selection is a directed touch, and not a hovering/scanning motion.

The user can’t move their cursor to the button on the screen, and instead can only tap it. There wasn’t a chance for a tool tip or for more context to come up through mouse movement around the element. Instead, they get a checkmark after tapping. Perhaps the idea is that feedback is really only available post-selection (after tapping) and not prior to, and therefore the user needs more time even after tapping something. That is why it doesn’t automatically progress- they have made a selection, then they get their visual feedback, and then can they hit “next” to keep going.

Since tapping “Enable Location Services” doesn’t progress the screen, a new button “Next” is introduced which is placed in a new location, and leads to my confusion. Did Apple do a bad job solving this interface problem? No, it’s not awful. I made my way through, just not with the effortless pleasure I am used to on Apple iPad interfaces.

The visual feedback and selection process on touch screens is fundamentally different than devices with input hardware. I think this is an interesting case study that highlights these issues, and it also shows how well Apple does most of the time at getting the interaction right.