When UI starts showing off: My problem with Apple’s Liquid Glass design
Recently, I was struck by how two major design philosophies handle the same moment in very different ways — the moment when a user needs to interact with video controls.
In passive watching, both YouTube and Apple’s video interfaces fade away gracefully. The screen becomes the content, and the UI respectfully steps back. That’s good design.
But the real difference emerges when you need the interface — when you tap the screen to pause, scrub, or adjust something.
When Interaction Breaks the Immersion
I’m such a fan of YouTube’s newly redesigned video controls. They’re a masterclass in restraint. They appear when needed, clear enough to use instantly, and then quietly disappear again. The controls feel lightweight and balanced — visible just long enough to serve their purpose without ever hijacking your attention. Their interaction (hover & focus) styling is also a new take I’ve not previously seen, changing the background but not the large border.
Apple’s new Liquid Glass UI takes the opposite approach. On paper, it’s an interesting (my vote is still undecided), translucent, fluid, and unmistakably “Apple” design. However, when those controls appear, they dominate. The large, glossy touch controls fill the screen like they’re performing for you, not helping you. In some cases, their dominance has broken my working memory due to the attention and focus they want from me.
When Design Becomes a Performance
The moment you reach for the controls is when good design really matters. Your focus should remain entirely on the task, not the interface.
Apple’s Liquid Glass design, though in areas visually impressive, I feel, crosses that line. It considers the interface as the star of the show rather than the silent assistant. The glassy overlays, reflections, and oversized buttons distract focus from the content you were engaged with, reminding you that you’re inside Apple’s design world.
It’s beautiful, maybe — but beauty isn’t the goal.
YouTube’s Quiet Confidence
In my view, YouTube’s new UI shows what good design humility looks like. When you summon the controls, everything you need appears cleanly and confidently, without ceremony.
YouTube isn’t trying to show off its design system. It’s trying to help you interact with the video and then get back to what you were doing: watching.
That’s what makes it feel so smooth, so natural. The UI respects the hierarchy of attention. It appears, serves, and retreats.
The Takeaway
Interaction is the moment that defines an interface’s character. It’s where design either empowers or distracts.
Apple’s Liquid Glass design is visually stunning, but when the time comes to actually use it, it reminds you of itself too much. YouTube’s design, meanwhile, quietly steps aside, letting the content and the user stay connected.
Great design doesn’t demand attention — it earns invisibility.
And when you’re just trying to pause a video, that’s exactly what you want.
