Dear Apple: I fixed that glaring UX problem you had

You’ve probably already seen Damn You Auto Correct, the site that catalogs the worst of unexpected “auto corrects”- the default behavior that iOS performs should it decide you have misspelled a word. While entertaining (and often inappropriate), the presence of this site should be an embarrassment for Apple since what it really does is catalog the most frustrating failure of “User eXperience” designer: when our devices don’t behave as we expect them to.

Every time a text is sent with an unwanted autocorrect, this is a failure of the UX designers.

While the auto correct mechanism itself is usually pretty awesome, the failure is that the triggering of the auto correct can happen from multiple interaction points, and there is no obvious clue telling you what is going to trigger it.

Consider this example. Most of us have learned (often through embarrassing text messages) that the space bar will cause this text to correct. But there are actually three triggers on this screen: the space bar, the return key, and most damning of all, the send button.

The solution is quite simple (though I understand Apple’s hesitancy to implement it- more on that later). Update the appearance of the keys that are going to trigger the auto correct. The logic behind this is obvious: if a key’s function has changed (i.e., the space bar no longer just inputs a space, it corrects and then inputs a space), it’s appearance should be updated to reflect it’s new function. See my three-minute example below.

Apple’s hesitancy to implement this is understandable. The success of the iOS experience relies heavily on providing simulacra of objects we already know how to use (see iBooks, the Notes and Compass app, as well as as UI elements like toggle switches), the keyboard being no exception. In Apple’s own “Human Interface Guidelines” they call these simulacra “Metaphors”.

The argument against updating the keyboard keys stems from the philosophy of not making the keyboard behave in unexpected ways. The appearance of the keyboard really only updates from direct interaction with the keyboard itself- the shift key, the numbers key- and in very expected ways. The keyboard is an often ignored (by the public) but extremely important part of the OS, and any frustrations with it would reflect very poorly on the overall experience, instead of being isolated to the Messages App. However, I think that an unexpected glowing key would be far more pleasant than the below example.

Apple, you can send my check in the mail. You should already have my address from that employment application I sent you that you never responded to.