Hasty Briefsbeta

Icons in Menus Everywhere – Send Help

3 days ago
  • #macOS
  • #User Experience
  • #UI Design
  • The author dislikes the default practice of including icons in every menu item, citing Google Sheets as an example.
  • They argue that adding icons should be a thoughtful decision, not a default, to avoid unnecessary cognitive load.
  • macOS Tahoe is criticized for adopting this trend, with inconsistent icon usage in menus like Safari and Mail.
  • The author acknowledges that some icons, like those in Finder's window alignment menu, are useful and intuitive.
  • Apple's 2005 Human Interface Guidelines advised against arbitrary symbols in menus, a stance seemingly abandoned in macOS Tahoe.
  • The author expresses frustration with the increasing visual noise in menus and the difficulty in advocating for thoughtful icon usage.