iOS 7 multitasking concept

 

 

Remember webOS? Say what you will about Palm, but the HP-acquired firm has pioneered what’s arguably the most efficient implementation of multitasking on a mobile device to this date (no jailbreak required, of course). For those not in the know, the webOS multitasking metaphor is a stack of cards which represents your running tasks.

Each card can be moved around, dismissed and manipulated with a flick of your finger. It’s a remarkably fun and engaging solution to efficiently interact with your apps, one which gets the job done while moving out of the way. Designer Jesse Head took that idea and applied it to the problematic iOS multitasking tray, replacing the boring grid of icons with app tiles sporting nearly full-screen live previews. It appears as useful as it’s gorgeous to look at, no?

You can swipe those cards up or down to kill the running apps, access oft-used iOS features like the music controls and brightness and quickly tap most important toggles like Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or Airplay – all right from the multitasking tray.

I also love the ability to perform searches across your running apps.

Hopefully, Apple’s design guru Jony Ive took into account those concept videos and mockups before gathering his team around Apple’s kitchen table to come up with a considered design solution for a more flatter iOS.

Now, not everyone is a fan of app tiles in their multitasking tray, I know that much.

I, for one, prefer a more simplified approach to multitasking based on large app icons rather than whiz-bang bells’n’ whistles.

I know that Auxo does nearly everything Jesse envisioned here, but again – not everyone likes Auxo’s approach to multitasking.

If anything, Jesse’s solution seems pretty efficient and straightforward. It looks business, but doesn’t appear to suffer from the cumbersomeness of the beautified interface.

The concept reminds me a little of the Windows Phone app switcher.

My only complaint: Jesse didn’t foresaw closing multiple apps at once, like in Auxo.

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