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A flat icon set for OS X

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Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#21

Post by ngcazz »

jarrett wrote: post #20

Philosophically or practically: What's the justification for nearly everyone switching to flat design? Is there any articulable reason it's "better" than the rich, three-dimensional style[1] that was previously popular? Or is it just an arbitrary trend? Some say the change is driven by high-DPI displays. I disagree. I don't see any intrinsic reason that flat designs look better than rich, three-dimensional designs on…

Microsoft went that way in Windows Phone; everyone else grudgingly felt it was more pleasant.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#22

Post by Synaesthesia »

jarrett wrote: post #20

Philosophically or practically: What's the justification for nearly everyone switching to flat design? Is there any articulable reason it's "better" than the rich, three-dimensional style[1] that was previously popular? Or is it just an arbitrary trend? Some say the change is driven by high-DPI displays. I disagree. I don't see any intrinsic reason that flat designs look better than rich, three-dimensional designs on…

Well it's a trend, and these don't always have rules, other than people follow them.

Here are a few theories: is it's a refinement of the icon concept, taking it to a higher level of abstraction.

Possibly the reduced visual noise has a greater aesthetic appeal.

Lastly I think the simplification makes it easier to see at a glance what the icon represents.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#24

Post by keehun »

Seems like you can't change the calendar icon. The calendar ICNS is used for the first time after cache reset, but once calendar opens, it uses its own embedded empty calendar icon and fills in the date. Any way for liteicon to change that blank calendar? I noticed you provided the blank calendar icns. I suppose I could open up Calendar and replace it to try it out.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#25

Post by ntaso »

S_A_P wrote: post #2

I like these, but they seem a bit fuzzy to my non retina macbook display. Particularly the music and calendar app icons just seem overly aliased. Can anyone else confirm?

The preview looks fuzzy, because they look like they have a slightly lighter outline, which is some way to do anti-aliasing. The PNGs in the download archive don't have these outlines.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#26

Post by refrigerator »

jarrett wrote: post #20

Philosophically or practically: What's the justification for nearly everyone switching to flat design? Is there any articulable reason it's "better" than the rich, three-dimensional style[1] that was previously popular? Or is it just an arbitrary trend? Some say the change is driven by high-DPI displays. I disagree. I don't see any intrinsic reason that flat designs look better than rich, three-dimensional designs on…

I think 'flat design' is really just an example of minimalist design (which has been around for ages) applied to graphical elements. With many things, especially apps/websites, minimalist design often ends up being a good experience for users because it's not distracting, but that's not to say that you can't have great UX without a minimalist design.

For me, I like flat design (to an extent) because it gives the product a more uniform look and feel, but sometimes it can be overdone and I find myself wishing there were an illusion of depth to guide me.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#27

Post by tchai_ »

jarrett wrote: post #20

Philosophically or practically: What's the justification for nearly everyone switching to flat design? Is there any articulable reason it's "better" than the rich, three-dimensional style[1] that was previously popular? Or is it just an arbitrary trend? Some say the change is driven by high-DPI displays. I disagree. I don't see any intrinsic reason that flat designs look better than rich, three-dimensional designs on…

I've always hated that Sequel Pro logo, old one was much better.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#28

Post by ender7 »

jarrett wrote: post #20

Philosophically or practically: What's the justification for nearly everyone switching to flat design? Is there any articulable reason it's "better" than the rich, three-dimensional style[1] that was previously popular? Or is it just an arbitrary trend? Some say the change is driven by high-DPI displays. I disagree. I don't see any intrinsic reason that flat designs look better than rich, three-dimensional designs on…

Gradients and juicy-fruit graphics are like candy -- they provide an instant and strong positive feeling, but they don't age well. If you had to eat nothing but candy, you'd hate the sugar-coated morass your mouth had become. In general, a flat icon tends to age better and reduce "eye exhaustion" (not a physiological thing, but a psychological one). Note that this applies mostly just to icons; the entire UI is not so tightly bound by these rules.

However, design is also trend-oriented, and flat is a rising trend.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#29

Post by vor_ »

TarpitCarnivore wrote: post #16

I may be in the minority, but these feel really boring and dull to me. I think there is a way to have a "flat" icon while still providing some depth to them. I've also seen dozens and dozens of flat icon sets for Android that basically have this same exact look. Just go to XDA or the Play Store and search "flat icons", I'm sure you'll find a bunch that have a mix of these designs.

One issue I have with many of the flat designs I see posted online is that they're so simplistic and desaturated that they look like cheap, generic clip art. OS X Yosemite's system icons retain appropriate bevels and shadows for distinction and look even better than their iOS 7 counterparts.

Re: A flat icon set for OS X

#30

Post by tinalatif »

keehun wrote: post #24

Seems like you can't change the calendar icon. The calendar ICNS is used for the first time after cache reset, but once calendar opens, it uses its own embedded empty calendar icon and fills in the date. Any way for liteicon to change that blank calendar? I noticed you provided the blank calendar icns. I suppose I could open up Calendar and replace it to try it out.

Oops, good call, calendar has to be done manually a little bit differently. I forgot to add instructions for that - I'll do it tonight
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