Former Apple Exec Calls The App Store An 'Impenetrable Jungle,' Offers To Redesign It For Free
In an open letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Gassée, who worked at Apple Computer from 1981 to 1990, highlights the issue of app discoverability in the App Store.
Gassée suggests Cook should allow for a curation process helmed by a team of human critics instead of the algorithm-based system in place currently.
Instead of using algorithms to sort and promote the apps that you permit on your shelves, why not assign a small group of adepts to create and shepherd an App Store Guide, with sections such as Productivity, Photography, Education, and so on. Within each section, this team of respected but unnamed (and so "ungiftable") critics will review the best-in-class apps. Moreover, they'll offer seasoned opinions on must-have features, UI aesthetics, and tips and tricks. A weekly newsletter will identify notable new titles, respond to counter-opinions, perhaps present a developer profile, footnote the occasional errata and mea culpa…
The result will be a more intelligible App Store that makes iOS users happier.
Gassée describes something that would share more similarities with user-curated content sites like Reddit, and he even offers to helm the project for himself, free of charge.
In a somewhat interesting note, Gassée mentions he made a similar offer to Cook a couple of years ago, but was cut short with a glance from Apple PR chief Katie Cotton.
"If I'm so convinced, why don't I drive it myself? You might recall that I offered to do so - for free - in a brief lobby conversation at the All Things D conference a couple of years ago. The ever-hovering Katie Cotton gave me the evil eye and that was the end of the exchange."
You can read Gassée's full letter to Tim Cook over at the technology blog Monday Note.