Designer Imagines 'Living Glass' Future for iOS Ahead of WWDC 2025

Sebastiaan de With, co-founder of Lux, the company behind popular photography apps like Halide and Kino, recently laid out his perspective on the much-rumored major redesign of iOS, which Apple is expected to unveil at WWDC 2025. In a detailed blog post, de With looks back at previous iOS design eras and explores what could be next, with a particular focus on how visionOS's design language might shape the future of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS.

De With breaks down iOS design history into several "epochs." His analysis begins with the "Shaded Age" of the original iPhone OS, defined by skeuomorphism—using familiar real-world textures and rendered buttons to make the new touchscreen interface approachable. This period, he notes, was "heavily grounded in creating familiarity through thoughtful, extensive visual effects."

Next came the "Flat Age," introduced with iOS 7 in 2013. This update largely moved away from heavy visual effects, opting for a cleaner look that used layers and dynamic effects like parallax and frosted glass to create a sense of depth and interactivity. De With observes that over time, this design matured, reintroducing some static effects and "rounder" elements in step with iPhone hardware.


The current major influence, according to de With, is the "Age of Physicality," best seen in visionOS. He points out that a "key foundational tenet of the VisionOS design language is how elements are always composed of 'real' materials," which react dynamically to light and cast shadows. He sees early hints of this in current iOS features like the Dynamic Island, which behaves like an "interactive, viscous liquid," and the new Siri animation.

Looking to the future, de With speculates about a "New Age: Living Glass." He imagines Apple extending this physicality across the entire interface, making it feel as though "the glass itself coming alive." His mockups depict UI elements like buttons and playback controls as dynamic glass that reflects content, reacts to light with HDR highlights, and even shows caustics. This "living glass," he suggests, could also be "infused with the color and theme of the interface around it."
He pictures redesigned Tab Bars that float over content instead of obscuring it, and controls that are "elevated" for primary actions while secondary ones get subtler treatments. App icons, too, could get dynamic backdrops and glassy effects, becoming more interactive. De With believes such a shift would be more than just cosmetic, potentially paving the way for new design tools and a more ambient, lifelike computing experience. He concludes that "only Apple" has the unique integration of hardware and software needed to bring such an interface to life.



Apple is expected to announce its next-generation operating systems, which reports suggest will be named iOS 26 and macOS 26 (with macOS reportedly codenamed "Tahoe"), at its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 9. This major software refresh is rumored to feature a new interface codenamed "Solarium," inspired by visionOS, aligning with de With's ideas. Previous leaks and mockups have also pointed to a significant visual overhaul for iOS, though some, including Mark Gurman, have indicated these early visuals might not fully capture the final product.


Hit the link below to check out the in-depth design article from Sebastiaan de With with more mockups and analysis. Please download the iClarified app or follow iClarified on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and RSS for full coverage of all WWDC announcements!

Read More