Apple News, Analysis and Podcasts

When Apple released OS X 10.0 one of the most controversial aspects of the new Aqua interface was the Dock. Back then the Dock wasn't as 3-D or reflective as it is today, but nevertheless, the Dock pretty much functions the same way it did on day one: you can enlarge it; you can shrink it; you can hide it; you can even move it to the left or right of your screen.

While the Dock has evolved over the past decade one has to wonder if Apple is letting history repeat itself with their icon designs for the Dock? It's almost as if they are in “thinking jail”, just like Jeff Goldblum proclaimed about all computer designs being “beige” when Apple introduced the first iMac.

One can quickly line up a few of Apple's applications and see there is a common theme: blue. Wouldn't it be easier to locate an icon if it were a different color? Also how about a different shape? It's as if Apple's icon design team were given one color crayon and compass to design all icons.

Somehow the icon designers for Keynote and Numbers were let out of “thinking jail”. It sure would be nice if others in the icon design group could escape from singing the blues.

1 Comment

1. Rexamillion ~ January 24, 2011 05:48
   These icon's from Apple are at the OS level, in that they come with the OS (thus the blue and round theme). iLife icons are different, as are iWork icons. Each family of icons fits it's own theme, and blue + round is the general them for OS-delivered software icons. What's amazing is how poor the dock solution is, and how Apple hasn't come up with something vastly better. Especially since many 3rd party utilities do a much better job.

Leave your reply