One of the biggest pros of the Apple Interface Guidelines is that it is clean and consistent. Because Apple’s interface is so consistent, it makes using their products very intuitive which I appreciate. It is easy to navigate content because it is always presented in the same way, as defined in the “Visual Index” section of their website. Their color palette is limited and the colors they do use always inform the user of an action, which also aids in ease of navigation.
Additionally, I like that their design choices are limited in the sense that they do not include information when it can be inferred. For example, in the “Capacity Indicators” section of their guidelines, they say that you should only use tick marks on a progress bar if it is the continuous type and not the discrete type. This avoids redundancy in showing the about of progress. They also rely on intuitive design when making their app icons. I like that their apps are simple and don’t feel cluttered with unnecessary detail or words.
One downfall of having really simple design pieces is that, to some people, particularly the older generations, the design may not be so intuitive. While users that have grown up using Apple devices understand the interfaces and can evolve as things change within these interfaces, people my parent’s age often struggle with the simple iconography and unadorned features. In my parents’ case, for example, simple things like a disappearing navigation bar at the bottom of my MacBook can be confusing or frustrating to them. I do think times are changing, though, and in the future, navigating these interfaces will be second nature to everyone.