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Most of the time, software bugs – and the idea that one could reach the end user – is something those in the QA space tend to fear. They should anyway. But with the right set of eyes and under the right circumstances, software bugs can be seen as works of art. And believe it or not, they can actually make a user want to use an application more.
Of course, 99.99% of the time the opposite is true, so don’t get too excited over this prospect. What is the exception, you ask? When are bugs considered art? When do certain bugs actually make the end-user heart grow fonder? You guessed it: When the bugs come from Apple.
Specifically, the bugs of Apple Maps. Wired.com posted an interesting story (and gallery) of what is commonly called glitch art. Compiled by Apple enthusiast Peder Norrby, this collection of Apple Maps bugs is definitely worth a view. Here’s the basic story, followed by a few of my favorite pictures (below the jump):
Of the handful of self-inflicted blunders Apple’s had to deal with over the last few years, the Apple Maps debacle stands apart simply because it was so hard to miss. Where Antennagate had been an invisible plague and Ping was almost instantaneously forgotten, Apple Maps announced its screwiness from day one, unapologetically misplacing businesses and matter-of-factly routing drivers into nearby bodies of water. You didn’t have to poke and prod to find bugs. It was swarming with them.
The app’s 3D views were problematic too. Cities were peppered with warped buildings and other strange Daliesque distortions. For a user named Peder Norrby, though, those visual hiccups had an odd effect. They made him use the app more.
My favorites of the bunch:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Have you seen any other examples of glitch art? If so, please share your links in the comments section below.
