“Is it legal in California to marry an iPhone?”, I asked my girlfriend today in the morning. She answered that this won’t be an option for me so I should not even pose the question, which I digested and happily filed under ‘good news’.

Yet it is amazing how much the iPhone has actually positively affected my life and once again the way I see Apple as an overall inventor of the simple, the useful, and the obvious. I started my iPhone purchasing process online by handing over all the critical data such as social security and mobile numbers, made an appointment at an Apple store (for 30 minutes later), received directions to the store on the confirmation screen, drove to the store, purchased and activated the phone within 10 minutes while never having to stand in line or wait at any register. Even my credit card was charged remotely, on the floor. After that I have never read a manual, immediately knew how to operate it, and I now gradually get to know more features and applications, while I watch how love at first sight turns into a harmonic relationship, even dependency of sorts.

What is more interesting to you as a reader though is the notion of how the release of the iPhone, the HP Touchscreen monitor as well as endless touch-screen cameras are rapidly affecting and shaping everyday users’ behaviour. After decades of handling tiny buttons and switches, we can touch and feel again, hands on. Users can rely on intuition and functionality without having to read manuals or call 800-numbers.

Now that these fairly old technologies are finally hitting mass consumer markets, Geyrhalter Design is taking note and I feel that our clients will soon demand web sites with larger photos, larger type, and most importantly huge buttons. And rightfully so, as it becomes everyday business to look up web sites on iPhones and Touch Screens. Coincidentally a logical next step after Web 2.0. Doing this gracefully, with beautiful and intuitive design solutions, will be something that I think we will have ‘at hand’.

Exciting times, and – for once – not only in a negative way.