This is coming from an Apple fan. I really admire the confidence that Apple's leadership displayed at today's keynote. I love the new Mac Pro, OS X, and other tweaks they added. However, the iOS 7 re-design left me feeling a bit unsettled, some of the reasons why I outlined below:
The home screen needs help.
When I saw it, it looked like something you'd find in a jailbreak store. I've never modified my home screen because I could never find a better version of it, and this is not it.
What's up wit that settings icon by the way? It has so much going on and looks nothing like a cog.
Link #1: http://ianstormtaylor.com/design-tip-never-use-black/
There is a lack of visual hierarchy
Ive mentions in the talk how the different layers provide a visual hierarchy. It makes sense. But on an app screen basis, absolutely not.
The Signal Indicator
I like how Apple did away with the carrier name but the 5 dots looks a bit awkward. If they're going to reinvent the whole thing, I'd just go for three dots. One dot for low service, two dots for ok, three dots for none, and no dots for none.
Ive Has No Software-Design Experience
It clearly shows in the design/polish of the new interface. It's not that great, and I'm not sure how Apple's designers let this stuff go. On the other hand, Ive has no pre-concieved notions on digital design, so it could be interesting to see where he ends up.
Are they removing Steve's touch?
Some design changes didn't seem necessary (or, like improvements). It just looked like changes. Also, Apple was only 1 cat away from OS 11. Why did they stop, and why Maverick? It's especially corny since Apple is lost their "rebel" image.
Ive was pretty gutsy in redesigning the entire OS considering he comes from a hardware design angle. I think the device and software look should match, and maybe that will become more apparent with future device releases. For now, it looks like a big experiment, and I hope it evolves for the best.