Old Icons

15 days ago

Discusses the historical design of early Mac application icons, which were 32×32 pixels and limited to black and white.
Highlights the original MacWrite and MacPaint icons as examples, featuring tilted rectangles with hands to indicate action-oriented apps.
Explains that document icons were upright rectangles with dog-eared corners and no hands, differentiating them from app icons.
Mentions other Apple app icons like MacDraw and HyperCard, noting deviations such as HyperCard's stack of rectangles.
Describes how third-party software (e.g., Aldus PageMaker, QuarkXPress) followed similar design patterns with variations.
Notes the THINK Pascal editor/compiler icon innovated by using hands on a keyboard generating a flowchart.
Observes that as users became more familiar with Macs, icon design constraints loosened, with Apple and others abandoning strict patterns.
References the ResEdit icon as an example of Apple's whimsical design during that era.
Connects modern complaints about 'squircle jail' to historical icon elements that 'stick out,' like hands from tilted rectangles.

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