Hey there audio friend!
We’re back with Part 2 of our deep dive into what happens when good design loses its way — and why it matters for anyone building tools meant to hold memories.
In Part 1, we looked at how Apple Photos shifted from a simple, trustworthy archive to something more algorithmic and less personal. Now, in Part 2, we zoom in on how that shift actually happened. The problem isn’t just new features — it’s the collapse of Apple’s once-clear navigation model.
In iOS 17, the four-tab layout made photos feel organized, human, and intentional. You always knew where you were. But iOS 18 replaced that structure with an endless scroll of “collections,” blending moments, months, and machine-generated suggestions into a single feed. The result? A loss of clarity, emotional resonance, and—ironically—the very sense of discovery the redesign tried to improve.
This isn’t about nostalgia for old UI. It’s about respecting the mental models users build over years. When a company abandons those models too abruptly, people don’t feel delight — they feel disoriented.
All of this shapes how we’re thinking about Sound Library. Audio recordings are emotional artifacts, too. They deserve structure, predictability, and space to feel personal — not an interface that shuffles them around in the name of novelty.
More soon as we keep building with intention.
H. & J.
P.S. — Tools don’t just store memories. They shape how we return to them. That’s why every design decision matters.