Analyzing an iPod

Image from: http://www.megaleecher.net/uploads/ipod-nano-chromatic.png

          When we look at an iPod we typically don’t analyze it in terms of its design. Normally when we look at it we just notice the color and know that it plays music. When we look at something like an iPod we must stop and ask ourselves why is it designed this way and what were some of the thoughts designers had when they were designing the iPod?

            If you look closely the elements of an iPod are all unified. This means that all the elements seem like they belong together. You might think that the white circle that has the menu options on it might be out of place but this is just because the white circle offers a nice contrast against the colored background. This contrast grabs your attention and draws you to the iPod. The iPod is also a very balanced object because the screen and the white circle are placed in a way that dissects the iPod into two parts. If you only had the screen on top with no white circle on the bottom then that emptiness would create imbalance. This distribution of weight on either side of the horizontal axis creates balance.

            To further please their clients apple designers decided to create iPods in various colors. As I was analyzing the iPod I noticed that each iPod just has one solid color. There is no value or shading that manipulates the iPod but I think that these effects would just complicate the design. The simplicity used in this design has a lot to do with the fact that the iPod is just one solid color and here this simplicity works.