This concept reimagines a classic Mac app in desperate need of a revamp

By Alan Truly August 5, 2022

One of Mac’s most used apps hasn’t seen a significant redesign in years. While the Contacts app works just fine, there are plenty of ways it could be improved, as shown in a fascinating new concept that reimagines it after being given the same treatment as many other apps bundled in MacOS.

First spotted by 9to5Mac, the new concept was recently created by BasicAppleGuy and posted on their website, hopefully inspiring Apple to rethink the outdated design of the Contacts app.

MacOS Contacts app got a redesign in a fan's concept.

MacOS Ventura is already out in beta release and, unfortunately, the Contacts app retains the same look and features as MacOS Monterey. As BasicAppleGuy points out, the design hasn’t really changed much since 2003.

The reimagined MacOS Contacts app isn’t simply a visual makeover. The designer envisions added features that make better use of existing Apple technology, such as Siri Suggestions to identify related details from other system apps, shared groups similar to the new shared Tab Groups in Safari, and shared photo albums in MacOS Ventura.

Thumbnails are more widely used in the imagined MacOS Contacts app concept, which would make it much easier to locate people you know at a glance. A serious amount of thought and effort went into the redesign effort. An enhanced sharing toolbar would speed communication by offering buttons to start a call or message a contact via Slack, Twitter, Whatsapp, and other installed apps.

The great thing about BasicAppleGuy’s design is the way it integrates with the look and feel of some of the best Mac apps that are preloaded on every machine. The odds of this exact redesign being used by Apple are quite slim but perhaps some of the functionality will make its way into a future version of MacOS.

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Alan is a Computing Writer living in Nova Scotia, Canada. A tech-enthusiast since his youth, Alan stays current on what is…

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