One of the problems with smartphones, at least back in the day, was that their screens were small so there was the challenge of trying to fit a keyboard into its display. This was one of the many criticisms of smartphones in the early days, and it seems that Apple’s iPhone could have fell victim to those criticisms as well.In a report from 9to5Mac, they’ve managed to get their hands on an excerpt from Ken Kocienda’s upcoming book which is titled, “Creative Selection”. For those unfamiliar, Kocienda worked at Apple from 2001 to 2016 as one of the company’s designers, and in this particular excerpt, he shared some designs of what the iPhone’s virtual keyboard could have looked like (see image to the right).
As you can see, this keyboard’s design looks nothing like the final version that was released. According to Kocienda, the idea was that the bigger keys (that grouped multiple alphabets together) would make it easier for users to reach them, and that a built-in dictionary would then help to suggest words for users to complete it.
His idea was obviously rejected which forced him to come up with another design, resulting in a keyboard which could intelligently adjust the touch targets on the fly, which is what the iPhone ended up debuting with. It is an interesting read and a good look into the process of design and for those who want to learn more, Kocienda’s book is set for launch on the 4th of September and can be pre-ordered via Amazon.
Image credit – Ken Kocienda
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