Will Apple’s Liquid Glass be a problem for developers? It's already hailed as a masterpiece but almost impossible to replicate

Recently, during the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) – the annual conference the company organizes for developers and industry professionals – Apple unveiled a new visual language called Liquid Glass. This system is based on dynamic and fluid animations, enriched by a highly complex design system that, among other things, simulates the refraction of light. In essence, with this update – officially expected to launch in the fall – the interface elements of Apple products will change significantly: icons, buttons, menus, windows, and controls, among other things, will feature a glass-like transparency, allowing the background colors and content to peek through. But make no mistake: Liquid Glass is not just a complex blur effect; the visual language actually manages to faithfully replicate how light behaves on transparent materials, and the result, according to many experts, is truly impressive. In doing so, Apple reinterprets minimalism through an entirely new lens, experimenting with refraction and shadow play – all elements that, if you think about it, belong more to the physical world than the digital one. It’s a significant step forward that, at least in terms of interface design, marks a clear departure for the Cupertino company from its competitors. “Apple is flexing hard by showing it can pull off something this complex on its own devices,” summed up the creator team Cafè Design, who in a dedicated post added: “Liquid Glass is a masterpiece of research and development, and also one of the most complex things ever seen in the UI (User Interface) world.” Unsurprisingly, the new identity will be applied across Apple’s entire device ecosystem: from smartwatches to iPads and, naturally, to iPhones.

Many users have compared Liquid Glass to the aesthetics of Windows Vista, but Apple’s new visual identity is actually inspired by Aqua, the design system the company introduced six years earlier. The new look also draws from the operating system behind Vision Pro, and has been called “the first major interface overhaul by the company in the past 10 years,” as reported by Wired Italia. However, the magazine also notes that several developers and designers have expressed concerns about Liquid Glass: such a complex interface is, as of now, nearly impossible to reproduce at Apple’s standard, and keeping up with it could prove extremely difficult for the digital design industry. Content creator Zander Whitehurst, active in the field of interface design, for example, demonstrated how to recreate the effect using Figma, the leading software for designing apps and websites. As shown in the clip posted on his Instagram channel, the steps to achieve even a remotely similar result are numerous, and the required attention to detail is far from obvious: “Every developer’s nightmare,” one user commented. Not by chance, Caffè Design jokingly referred to it as the “glass of discord.”

Creator Sara Groblechner, who shares tips on designing better slides on Instagram, also tried to replicate the Liquid Glass effect – on PowerPoint. Even though the final output was an approximation due to the software’s technical limitations, it still required at least seven steps. Groblechner also pointed out that the distortion effect typical of Apple’s new aesthetic could impact the readability of information. This concern has been echoed by many designers and developers. Nevertheless, Apple has extensive experience in interface accessibility, so it’s likely that in the coming months the company will refine the upcoming design system to ensure an optimal experience even for users with vision impairments. It’s also possible that the clips released by Apple were purposely created to emphasize the Liquid Glass effect and that, once publicly available, it will appear more toned-down and accessible. Still, beyond the entirely revamped visual identity, this update will also enhance a number of core functions and introduce new ones – such as real-time phone call translation.