Improving Safari 4's Tab User Interface
Like many people I downloaded Safari 4 Beta with some excitement (is that sad?) as soon as it was released a couple of days ago. My first thought upon opening the shiny new browser was that the user interface was a bit crazy (are Apple going cover flow crazy?) but there was something else that felt really wrong.. what was it? Then it hit me.. it was the new tabs UI where Apple have now positioned tabs at the top of the window, in fact they’re located so close to the top of the window that they have entered the sacred area of the window title and become one with it, eugh.
As far as I know this is the first time this has happened in OS X and I think it is a really bad idea. I know its takes up less space, I know its more compact than Camino, but I don’t care. I think it is at best, an ugly solution, and at worst, a confusing interface implementation for users. It goes against every other window seen in OS X (yes, even those sexy transparent black HUD windows) and after a little digging in Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines on Window Elements I found the following:
The only controls that belong in a title bar are the close, minimize, and zoom buttons. If a title bar is combined with a toolbar, the unified area can contain the toolbar control and the toolbar customization contextual menu (these controls are described in “Title Bar Buttons”). Do not place other controls in a title bar.
There you go Apple. You’re violating your own guidelines by putting other controls, i.e tabs, into the window title. I pray that Apple will rethink this interface design. Anyway, I present (da da daa!) my idea for the tab interface implementation. It’s no more compact that Safari 3’s tab UI but it does have the correct hierarchy of Window Title, Tab with Page Title, Address, Content and it doesn’t violate the Human Interface Guidelines.
That is awesome that you found they were violating their own guidelines. That must be part of why they changed it back. Thanks for the post.
Adam 09 July 12:20