Vidit Bhargava’s iPad Multitasking Concept

Vidit Bhargava:

  1. Provides a clear path to launch any app in split screen.

  2. Clearly shows which app is in focus.

  3. Simplifies the multi-tasking screen (spaces to the left of the app appear to left and not the bottom in a grid).

It’s a short video demo that packs a bunch of good ideas. I’d go further on point 3 — it’s more than just simplified, it’s more coherent. iPadOS 13 multitasking lacks any spatial coherence whatsoever right now. When you swipe on the multitasking indicator at the bottom of the screen, spaces are arranged left-to-right. (Same goes for using a 4-finger swipe anywhere on the screen, including on home-button iPads.) But when you go into the full multitasking switcher mode (with a swipe up on Face ID iPads or a double-tap of the old-school home button), apps are arranged in a grid. That is madness. It breaks spatiality.

Also, although Bhargava’s concept doesn’t mention it, ⌘-Tab switching on iPadOS should show spaces, not apps. It’s bananas that it doesn’t.

Anyway, nice work here from Bhargava, whose English dictionary app LookUp (iOS and Mac) is well worth a look. LookUp for Mac is a great example of a well-done Catalyst app. And he documents the design thinking behind LookUp delightfully on his blog.

★ Sunday, 15 March 2020