As an aside, consider this example: I work with a lot of architecture and real estate projects, and to this day, I still see bedrooms in new homes labeled as Master Bedroom. There are multiple connotations ot Master, and not all of them are positive. When I have propose changing these to Primary Bedrooms, I am typically told that people expect to see Master and we don’t want to retrain them to new terminology. Not very progressive.

As an aside, consider this example: I work with a lot of architecture and real estate projects, and to this day, I still see bedrooms in new homes labeled as Master Bedroom. There are multiple connotations ot Master, and not all of them are positive. When I have propose changing these to Primary Bedrooms, I am typically told that people expect to see Master and we don’t want to retrain them to new terminology. Not very progressive.

Even if I don’t agree with Jason’s conclusion. I think that naked interface will remain the exception on the AppStore and that succeeding in making a real hit app with a naked interface is really tricky.
Smule’s Ocarina which is not mentionned is a perfect example of a mix of naked interface (the ocarina itself) with a ‘costumed’ one.

I think that the future of apps interface (on iPhone) lays in between the naked and costumes ones. You’ll have to be as simple as possible in term of Interface but provide sufficient materials to create an atmosphere for your app.
Earth Secrets (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307356331&mt=8) from the company I work for (Visuamobile) is an attempt to reach this mix of naked and costumed interface.

Even if I don’t agree with Jason’s conclusion. I think that naked interface will remain the exception on the AppStore and that succeeding in making a real hit app with a naked interface is really tricky.
Smule’s Ocarina which is not mentionned is a perfect example of a mix of naked interface (the ocarina itself) with a ‘costumed’ one.

I think that the future of apps interface (on iPhone) lays in between the naked and costumes ones. You’ll have to be as simple as possible in term of Interface but provide sufficient materials to create an atmosphere for your app.
Earth Secrets (http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewSoftware?id=307356331&mt=8) from the company I work for (Visuamobile) is an attempt to reach this mix of naked and costumed interface.

That’s an interesting article, and certainly one I can get behind in some instances : I’m all for not-over abstracting an interface experience when the quest is knowledge rather than experience, but you’r example of a naked interface isn’t very, um, naked to my mind:

HOME is an abstraction, that takes a lot of mental processing to get to it’s meaning. Just like your examples of the house with a peaked roof not being appropriate to someone in India, the word obviously wouldn’t translate to their language. Or, as a laboured example, to an all-to-rare-these-days Nomadic Tribesperson.

HOME is a very complex concept, and I would argue one which has been forced to have a recongnition in peoples minds – a place to orientate yourself within the current world – but not one which is even consistent: Home on your website is very different to home on my website… who’s home is it anyway.

This is a bit of a tangent from your point, but I think a valid one that needs to be countered in interface design. We should not think of words as having a precise meaning, and as those who design using words frequently know, their meaning is loaded and chosen carefully can make a great difference in how someone interacts.

That’s an interesting article, and certainly one I can get behind in some instances : I’m all for not-over abstracting an interface experience when the quest is knowledge rather than experience, but you’r example of a naked interface isn’t very, um, naked to my mind:

HOME is an abstraction, that takes a lot of mental processing to get to it’s meaning. Just like your examples of the house with a peaked roof not being appropriate to someone in India, the word obviously wouldn’t translate to their language. Or, as a laboured example, to an all-to-rare-these-days Nomadic Tribesperson.

HOME is a very complex concept, and I would argue one which has been forced to have a recongnition in peoples minds – a place to orientate yourself within the current world – but not one which is even consistent: Home on your website is very different to home on my website… who’s home is it anyway.

This is a bit of a tangent from your point, but I think a valid one that needs to be countered in interface design. We should not think of words as having a precise meaning, and as those who design using words frequently know, their meaning is loaded and chosen carefully can make a great difference in how someone interacts.