It's disappointing that this is the top voted comment.
If there's enough budget/time, UIs should always be built from the ground up. At every page and every element in the design process, the designer has the decision to go with:
1. Stock OS elements
2. Non-stock OS elements that follow current UX paradigms
3. Completely custom, designed from the ground up elements
As long as the designer is looking at the purpose of each page and element first and foremost, she can choose any of those options and be correct. You're right that your iPhone is not a place to drop arbitrary UI styles on, it's a place for well-designed UIs that contribute to a great user experience. Calling the design decisions arbitrary is an insult to the designer; I personally think it's a really slick-looking app with a distinct personality.
His comment is relevant to this use case. Admittedly, if you're building an airplane flight control dashboard or an app to schedule and coordinate circus acts, introduction of a new UX paradigm is worth it.
But a new UX paradigm for messaging window, registration form, map view, person view with Call and Message actions and settings view? This is the designer making themselves employable into the future, not great user experience.
Comments
It's disappointing that this is the top voted comment.
If there's enough budget/time, UIs should always be built from the ground up. At every page and every element in the design process, the designer has the decision to go with:
1. Stock OS elements 2. Non-stock OS elements that follow current UX paradigms 3. Completely custom, designed from the ground up elements
As long as the designer is looking at the purpose of each page and element first and foremost, she can choose any of those options and be correct. You're right that your iPhone is not a place to drop arbitrary UI styles on, it's a place for well-designed UIs that contribute to a great user experience. Calling the design decisions arbitrary is an insult to the designer; I personally think it's a really slick-looking app with a distinct personality.
His comment is relevant to this use case. Admittedly, if you're building an airplane flight control dashboard or an app to schedule and coordinate circus acts, introduction of a new UX paradigm is worth it.
But a new UX paradigm for messaging window, registration form, map view, person view with Call and Message actions and settings view? This is the designer making themselves employable into the future, not great user experience.