14 DAY TRIAL // Pushing forward with its minimalistic graphic design pioneered in iOS 7 months ago, Apple is finally putting the finishing touches on a less visited area of its web site, the Retail section.
Users who stop by www.apple.com/retail today will be greeted by a clean page showing off a reel banner with latest Apple products and, just below, a photo of one of the best-looking Apple retail stores: the Apple Store, Amsterdam.
Included in the Amsterdam store banner is a link to the complete store list and a search bar for finding stores by city and state, or zip code. But the bigger changes lie in a site’s layout.
As ifoAppleStore observed, “Continuing a trend towards simplicity, cleaner typography and more white space, Apple has revised the retail store Web pages to eliminate anything that is not content, bringing it under the iOS 7 umbrella.”
The site’s focus on Apple’s retail operations has made it an authority on the subject. Although it’s certainly a niche subject, ifo’s observations come in very handy at times like these.
The changes extend to the main store list but also to individual store pages. Every button and icon has been redesigned to match the look and feel of Apple’s mobile operating system, something that we can expect to see happening on the desktop front as well.
Notably, there are far fewer borders and the text is far less bold. Many elements are spaced out more, but all the features are still there, including reservation forms and schedules/calendars.
Apple greets site visitors with the following message:
“Visit the store page to get directions and hours, see a schedule of upcoming events and workshops, and make reservations for the Genius Bar and other services. [...] Browse on your own, shop with a Specialist, buy online, or make purchases right from your iPhone. No matter how you like to shop, you can do it at the Apple Store.”
Inside the physical store, nothing is changed. Visitors can continue to attend free workshops, take advantage of One to One training to take their skills to the next level, take the youngsters to free youth programs like Apple Camp, and more.
Genius Bar remains the main destination for hands-on technical support for your Apple products and friendly, expert help.
Visit Apple’s retail site to check out the redesign yourself, and see what’s new on the page of your local retail store. Drop a comment if you notice something interesting.