macOS Icon History

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Perceived Peak and Overall Direction

  • Many see macOS/iOS visual design peaking around 2012–2014, both in icons and hardware; newer styles are viewed as an incremental improvement over 2020–2024, but a historical regression.
  • Others argue current M‑series laptops are the hardware peak, citing performance, efficiency, and manufacturing quality, though some feel they lack the “clever” or delightful touches of older machines.

Usability and Clarity of Icons

  • Strong sentiment that icons should be quickly recognizable; several recent designs are called confusing or indistinguishable at a glance:
    • Game Center’s colored bubbles, Reminders’ dots, and modern Notes vs Calendar are cited as ambiguous.
    • Some say the new icons look blurred/low contrast, undermining the point of high‑DPI “retina” displays.
  • Others defend more detailed, skeuomorphic icons (e.g., old trash can, Photo Booth, Preview) as immediately legible and familiar.

Skeuomorphism vs Flat and “Squircle” Design

  • Debate over whether “good” icons must be extremely simplified; critics of photorealism say it’s against icon design principles, supporters say detail helps recognition and there’s no technical reason to avoid it now.
  • Nostalgia for whimsical, expressive icons (OS X era, third‑party apps, CandyBar customizations) versus complaints that modern sets are bland, samey, and “corporate.”
  • Discussion of rounded rectangles / squircles as a homogenizing trend across tech and other industries, seen by some as a broader “modernist minimalism” malaise.

Why Rounded Squares Everywhere?

  • One view: the uniform “app button” shape helps users recognize something as an app/action, especially in 3D environments like visionOS, where icons must stand out from arbitrary 3D objects.
  • Upsides noted: predictable hit areas for pointing devices, consistent visual canvas, platform control over visual narrative.
  • Downsides: loss of character, reduced differentiation, and a sense of design-by-committee.

Hardware, Ecosystem, and Values

  • Praise for M‑series SoCs and Rosetta transition; counterarguments that competitors are close in performance and that Apple’s TSMC capacity deals and closed, non‑repairable hardware are user‑hostile.
  • Some prioritize right‑to‑repair and modular machines (e.g., Framework), accepting trade‑offs in build quality and battery life; others prefer Apple’s integrated approach as best overall value.

Specific Icons, Omissions, and Resources

  • Frequently praised older icons: 2012–2014 Game Center and Notes, 2014–2020 Calculator, early System Preferences.
  • Mixed views on 2025 icons for Photo Booth and Podcasts; some find Photo Booth’s evolution especially sad.
  • Requests for histories of iTunes, Safari, Xcode, and OS 9/NeXT/Rhapsody-era icons; a few links to external icon galleries and a screensaver showcasing classic Aqua icons.