New Adobe icons suck

December 21, 2006 By

Hey, I’m getting bashed in comments for being too anti-Microsoft. Which is funny seeing that if you search Google for Demo of the Year a post I made about a Microsoft product comes up. I still haven’t seen a better demo this year.

Anyway, I’m not just into bashing Microsoft when it deserves it, but other companies too. Adobe got on Fred’s radar screen with the new Photoshop icons.

Using ASCII characters in an icon? Come on Adobe. You’re the king of using graphics and photos. Put a freaking photo onto the icon. It’s “Photoshop” remember?

But, icons are branding opportunities and tell me one thing. Will this “brand” do well in, say, China? How about Japan?

No.

Adobe should invest in imagery and iconography that’ll transcend cultural, language, and other barriers.

The problem is you should have a single icon that works everywhere for training purposes.

I remember when I was in China at a computer show and I needed to demonstrate NetMeeting. I could do it cause I knew what the icons looked like.

But, even better, look at how Firefox uses its icon to market itself. It’s on Tshirts. Stickers. Posters (one was hanging in a company I interviewed at yesterday).

I look at the XML icon and that’s a bit different. First of all, RSS and XML were aimed at geeks for the first few years of their life. So, they needed to communicate a bit about what was underneath (note that the newer Feed Icon is becoming much more popular — partly cause it doesn’t look so darn American-centric on, say, Chinese Web sites).

Filed Under: 1

http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com/ Michael.NET

The [XML] and [RSS] icons annoy the crap out of me (glances slideways to his right)…hey Robert…time replace that one under the Comment Feed…http://www.feedicons.com/ is your friend. And yes the Firefox icon is a GREAT example of marketing by a tech group, who doesn’t want to use that icon somewhere?
http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com Michael.NET

The [XML] and [RSS] icons annoy the crap out of me (glances slideways to his right)…hey Robert…time replace that one under the Comment Feed…http://www.feedicons.com/ is your friend. And yes the Firefox icon is a GREAT example of marketing by a tech group, who doesn’t want to use that icon somewhere?
http://www.psynixis.com/blog/ Simon Brocklehurst

I disagree. Graphical icons are a pretty flawed piece of graphical user interface design. Why? It’s because graphical icons on buttons tend to make software harder to learn, compared to software with text on buttons.

For example, which is *fundamentally* easier to learn: a button with the word “Save” on it, or a button with a picture that looks a bit like a floppy disk? So… the point is: icons with letters on them should be fundamentally easier to learn that what went before.

The late Jeff Raskin’s book – The Humane Interface – should be required reading for anyone that really cares about user interface design.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201379376/qid=1129725664/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8551565-7179959?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

He discusses these kind of ideas…
http://www.psynixis.com/blog/ Simon Brocklehurst

I disagree. Graphical icons are a pretty flawed piece of graphical user interface design. Why? It’s because graphical icons on buttons tend to make software harder to learn, compared to software with text on buttons.

For example, which is *fundamentally* easier to learn: a button with the word “Save” on it, or a button with a picture that looks a bit like a floppy disk? So… the point is: icons with letters on them should be fundamentally easier to learn that what went before.

The late Jeff Raskin’s book – The Humane Interface – should be required reading for anyone that really cares about user interface design.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201379376/qid=1129725664/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-8551565-7179959?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

He discusses these kind of ideas…
http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com/ Michael.NET

Simon,

For a User Interface this is true, when something needs to represent actions text will undoubtedly help. However Icons are more about Concepts, Ideas, and Brands…where universal images can convey more in a small space then words ever good. Like FireFox’s icon for instance…it’s a fox, it looks kind of flamey (is that a word?) and it’s surrounding the world. How are you going to fit that into a 32×32 pixel square with text? And Adobe’s are worthless anyway…what does a blue background with “Ps” on it mean anyway (all that comes to my mind is a vulgar word, or a word meaning drunk if you happen to be from the UK). I look at the icons on the blog linked and I can’t get ANYTHING from them, and I don’t use Photoshop. That’s Robert’s point, good icons you’ll just know what they are for, or at least get SOME message from them. [Ps] means nothing.
http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com Michael.NET

Simon,

For a User Interface this is true, when something needs to represent actions text will undoubtedly help. However Icons are more about Concepts, Ideas, and Brands…where universal images can convey more in a small space then words ever good. Like FireFox’s icon for instance…it’s a fox, it looks kind of flamey (is that a word?) and it’s surrounding the world. How are you going to fit that into a 32×32 pixel square with text? And Adobe’s are worthless anyway…what does a blue background with “Ps” on it mean anyway (all that comes to my mind is a vulgar word, or a word meaning drunk if you happen to be from the UK). I look at the icons on the blog linked and I can’t get ANYTHING from them, and I don’t use Photoshop. That’s Robert’s point, good icons you’ll just know what they are for, or at least get SOME message from them. [Ps] means nothing.
-gary

I like them. I have Bridge and PS on my quick launch bar and can only tell them apart by the color since their tiny pictures are indiscernible at that resolution. I also can’t stand moving to something new and having to guess what a function does by the symbolism of its icon. If they standardize across their entire product line that would be the best move they’ve made in quite a while.
-gary

I like them. I have Bridge and PS on my quick launch bar and can only tell them apart by the color since their tiny pictures are indiscernible at that resolution. I also can’t stand moving to something new and having to guess what a function does by the symbolism of its icon. If they standardize across their entire product line that would be the best move they’ve made in quite a while.
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/jd John Dowdell

Globalization is indeed a good thing to consider… for background info, try:
http://www.adobe.com/cn/
http://www.adobe.com/jp/
http://technorati.com/search/adobe?language=ko&authority=n
http://weblogs.macromedia.com/jd John Dowdell

Globalization is indeed a good thing to consider… for background info, try:
http://www.adobe.com/cn/
http://www.adobe.com/jp/
http://technorati.com/search/adobe?language=ko&authority=n
http://remarkable.wordpress.com/ remarkable

Michael, I understand what you’re saying. However, this idea that people can “just know” what an icon means is not right. People have to *learn* what an icon means. Just as they have to *learn* about brands.

So, it’s all about how *easy* it is to learn…
http://remarkable.wordpress.com/ remarkable

Michael, I understand what you’re saying. However, this idea that people can “just know” what an icon means is not right. People have to *learn* what an icon means. Just as they have to *learn* about brands.

So, it’s all about how *easy* it is to learn…
Scott

Some of us don’t have tiny icons on “Start” menus or launch bars, but, rather, beautifully rendered, auto scaling 128×128 pixel pieces of “art” on our Docks.

I have to agree with Scoble on this one: Wow, those icons really suck! Two letters in solid colored square to represent graphics app. Ick. It was the first thing I noticed after installing the beta. My first thought (hope): they’re just place holders until the “real” icons get finished.
Scott

Some of us don’t have tiny icons on “Start” menus or launch bars, but, rather, beautifully rendered, auto scaling 128×128 pixel pieces of “art” on our Docks.

I have to agree with Scoble on this one: Wow, those icons really suck! Two letters in solid colored square to represent graphics app. Ick. It was the first thing I noticed after installing the beta. My first thought (hope): they’re just place holders until the “real” icons get finished.
http://www.dotcult.com/ Ryan

Feed icon? Nah, you need a feed button: http://www.feedbutton.com Links work here?
http://www.dotcult.com Ryan

Feed icon? Nah, you need a feed button: http://www.feedbutton.com Links work here?
davidwb

uh, okay. But how does a feather, a butterfly, and a flower tell me the purpose of a program? A stamp for email works nicely, to be sure. A hard drive and a wrench for a disk utility is obvious too. But just what do you do graphically for Distiller/Reader, InDesign, etc that is meaningful across cultures? Sorry, I don’t think you’ve thought this idea through far enough…it works for some apps but not all.
davidwb

uh, okay. But how does a feather, a butterfly, and a flower tell me the purpose of a program? A stamp for email works nicely, to be sure. A hard drive and a wrench for a disk utility is obvious too. But just what do you do graphically for Distiller/Reader, InDesign, etc that is meaningful across cultures? Sorry, I don’t think you’ve thought this idea through far enough…it works for some apps but not all.
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

David: it’s a brand.

Tell me, how long did it take you to figure out the new Firefox icon?
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

David: it’s a brand.

Tell me, how long did it take you to figure out the new Firefox icon?
http://www.genomarock.com/ Diego

Mmmm… did anyone consider it’s a BETA? I saw the app icon, I thought “huh?” but I am pretty sure (as I bet you all are) that that is NOT going to be the icon for the final release…
http://www.genomarock.com Diego

Mmmm… did anyone consider it’s a BETA? I saw the app icon, I thought “huh?” but I am pretty sure (as I bet you all are) that that is NOT going to be the icon for the final release…
http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

Come on Adobe. You’re the king of using graphics and photos. Put a freaking photo onto the icon. It’s “Photoshop” remember?

Um…dude?

Postscript
Adobe Type Library
InDesign
Illustrator’s Text handling
PDF
Printing
Pagemaker
Framemaker

Adobe DOES have a wee bit of experience with um…text.

At least I’d heard that.

As well, so what? They’ve changed the icons for everything 2-3 times now, the world didn’t end.

CS Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., are the brands, not the icons.
http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

Come on Adobe. You’re the king of using graphics and photos. Put a freaking photo onto the icon. It’s “Photoshop” remember?

Um…dude?

Postscript
Adobe Type Library
InDesign
Illustrator’s Text handling
PDF
Printing
Pagemaker
Framemaker

Adobe DOES have a wee bit of experience with um…text.

At least I’d heard that.

As well, so what? They’ve changed the icons for everything 2-3 times now, the world didn’t end.

CS Suite, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc., are the brands, not the icons.
http://www.transparentagenda.com/ Greg Furry

I love the new icons. They really stand out in my dock. I have the Photoshop and Illustrator icons right next to each other in my dock. I still after over a year having them have to think to myself, which is photoshop and which is illustrator? They also get lost in my desktop background. The new icons stand out and pop off the screen. This is Microsoft think. Make the most elaborate looking icon possible because you can. Sounds like feature over load to me. Simple bold colors are easy to see and easier to remember.
http://www.transparentagenda.com Greg Furry

I love the new icons. They really stand out in my dock. I have the Photoshop and Illustrator icons right next to each other in my dock. I still after over a year having them have to think to myself, which is photoshop and which is illustrator? They also get lost in my desktop background. The new icons stand out and pop off the screen. This is Microsoft think. Make the most elaborate looking icon possible because you can. Sounds like feature over load to me. Simple bold colors are easy to see and easier to remember.
fishmeal

Quicksilver.
I hardly ever go to the dock to fish for my apps.
fishmeal

Quicksilver.
I hardly ever go to the dock to fish for my apps.
Pingback: Adobe Displays CS3 Icons | Blog Archive | GrantPalin.com
http://joel.burslem.ca/ Joel Burslem

Amen fishmeal.
http://joel.burslem.ca/ Joel Burslem

Amen fishmeal.
http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

even at my
http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

even at my
met

What is Microsoft’s logo (icon?) ? They’ve survived for a while without one.
met

What is Microsoft’s logo (icon?) ? They’ve survived for a while without one.
met

Ok we are talking about products here. But you should get the idea.
met

Ok we are talking about products here. But you should get the idea.
davidwb

Scoble – I understand the brand idea – but I also understand the usability idea. Sure, I can see a brand theme that would be incorporated into every icon, but remember, icons also have to identify the application. It was easy for me to identify FireFox – that was one new program. But when my boss buys the new CS3 Professional Uber Suite, how many icons will I be learning at once?
davidwb

Scoble – I understand the brand idea – but I also understand the usability idea. Sure, I can see a brand theme that would be incorporated into every icon, but remember, icons also have to identify the application. It was easy for me to identify FireFox – that was one new program. But when my boss buys the new CS3 Professional Uber Suite, how many icons will I be learning at once?
http://www.ambivi.com/ Wesley McGee

The problem with the icon is the “new” part. Adobe has never, ever stuck with an icon for Photoshop (or it seems with any of the other programs in Creative Suite). At least with the last three releases, they have changed icons, killing any possible brand identification they could have had. Compare this with Adobe Acrobat and Reader. They’ve always used that loop-de-loop triangle shape that is reminiscent of the letter A for it. Microsoft Word has always been represented by a blue W. WordPerfect always had a calligraphy pen for an icon. Windows users have long learned that to get to the internet, you click on the blue E. Adobe needs to stop changing its icon drastically every three years and confusing the hell out of people.
http://www.ambivi.com Wesley McGee

The problem with the icon is the “new” part. Adobe has never, ever stuck with an icon for Photoshop (or it seems with any of the other programs in Creative Suite). At least with the last three releases, they have changed icons, killing any possible brand identification they could have had. Compare this with Adobe Acrobat and Reader. They’ve always used that loop-de-loop triangle shape that is reminiscent of the letter A for it. Microsoft Word has always been represented by a blue W. WordPerfect always had a calligraphy pen for an icon. Windows users have long learned that to get to the internet, you click on the blue E. Adobe needs to stop changing its icon drastically every three years and confusing the hell out of people.
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

Met: every app in Microsoft Office suite has an icon (only one, Word, has a character as part of the icon). The start bar in Windows Vista has an icon. IE has an icon. Every Windows app has an icon. All without characters in them.
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

Met: every app in Microsoft Office suite has an icon (only one, Word, has a character as part of the icon). The start bar in Windows Vista has an icon. IE has an icon. Every Windows app has an icon. All without characters in them.
http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com/ Michael.NET

met,

I would argue that the “Multi-colored Windows” logo is the unoffical microsoft logo…and is pretty universally recognizable.
http://michaeldotnet.blogspot.com Michael.NET

met,

I would argue that the “Multi-colored Windows” logo is the unoffical microsoft logo…and is pretty universally recognizable.
Tim

“every app in Microsoft Office suite has an icon (only one, Word, has a character as part of the icon)”

Doesn’t Excel 2007 still use X as its icon? It’s no longer XL, thankfully, as I expect that localised really well

And OneNote 2007 seems to use an ‘N’ in its icon as the main device.

(I’m looking at the icons Jensen Harris put on his blog a while back.)
Tim

“every app in Microsoft Office suite has an icon (only one, Word, has a character as part of the icon)”

Doesn’t Excel 2007 still use X as its icon? It’s no longer XL, thankfully, as I expect that localised really well

And OneNote 2007 seems to use an ‘N’ in its icon as the main device.

(I’m looking at the icons Jensen Harris put on his blog a while back.)
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

Hmmm, I guess that’s an “X” on the latest Excel icon. Good point, though. But Microsoft has been heading generally away from those kinds of icons lately. I know that with Windows, specifically, they went with the Windows flag, and a round button, both of which are trademarked and can’t be copied by other operating systems.
http://scobleizer.wordpress.com/ Robert Scoble

Hmmm, I guess that’s an “X” on the latest Excel icon. Good point, though. But Microsoft has been heading generally away from those kinds of icons lately. I know that with Windows, specifically, they went with the Windows flag, and a round button, both of which are trademarked and can’t be copied by other operating systems.
http://www.bynkii.com/ John C. Welch

Um, Robert, check the icons for the OTHER Office…2004 for Mac OS X and tell us what you see.

New Adobe icons suck

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