Of all the innovations from Apple, could the biggest not be a device, but a physical gesture? The chief digital officer of Gannet & Co. Inc. thinks so.
The right-to-left swiping motion used with Apple devices to sort through photos or to navigate certain apps is quickly altering how we seek and absorb information.
David Payne, chief digital office of Gannet & Co. Inc., the parent of USA Today, brought up this point in his opening speech at the Mid-Atlantic Marketing Summit earlier this month. He pointed out that the digital world changed with the introduction of the “touch” with the iPhone.
While touch screens had been around for awhile, Apple brought them into our daily lives. It has changed the way we interact with our devices. (Bye-bye, BlackBerry…) With the explosive growth of the iPad, Payne thinks the change is about to become even more dramatic.
Forbes: “Payne referred to the “swipe” as the game-changer, or as he called to it, “petting the cat.” This new right-to-left world has caused Gannett to rethink the traditional “top-to-bottom” experience of its websites, in particular how it organizes content. As evidence, Gannett has incorporated this new “petting the cat” thinking into its new USA Today app.”
Apple’s impact on design can be seen in almost any new technology design. Their impact on the user experience, and how users interact with devices goes beyond just Apple’s own devices.
One attendee at the summit related how his 3 year old went up to the television and tried to “swipe” to change the channel. Apple continues to have the ability to change consumer behavior, and the rest of the digital world has to catch up.
Payne says the swipe is here to stay. Navigation is no longer North/South, it’s time to head East/West.
