It's hard to justify Tahoe icons

4 months ago

The article critiques macOS Tahoe's icon design for being distracting, illegible, and inconsistent.
Icons should differentiate and help users find items faster, but Tahoe's uniform icon approach fails this principle.
Consistency between and within apps is lacking, with different icons representing the same actions (e.g., 'New', 'Open', 'Save').
Icon reuse is problematic, as the same icon can signify different actions across apps or even within the same app.
Excessive detail in tiny icons makes them hard to recognize, compounded by poor pixel alignment in vector-based designs.
Confusing metaphors and lack of clear symbolism in icons hinder user understanding (e.g., 'Select all' represented by a text block).
Symmetrical actions (e.g., Undo/Redo) often lack mirrored icon designs, adding cognitive load.
Text within icons is overused, blurring the line between literal text and symbolic representation.
The article references the 1992 Macintosh Human Interface Guidelines, arguing that core usability principles remain relevant despite technological advancements.
The conclusion suggests that Apple's goal of iconizing every menu item was flawed from the start, leading to a cluttered and confusing interface.

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