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Figure 11-4 An icon family: The iTunes application icon and its associated icons

iTunes application icon

Application Icons

User Application Icons

Mac OS X user application icons should be vibrant and inviting, and should immediately convey the application’s purpose. The TextEdit icon, for example, indicates clearly that you would use this application to create text documents.

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Figure 11-5 The TextEdit application icon makes it obvious what this application is for

If the primary function of your application is creating or handling media, its icon should display the media the application creates or views. If appropriate, the icon should also contain a tool that communicates the type of task the application allows the user to accomplish. The Preview icon, for example, uses a magnification tool to help convey that the application can be used to view pictures. If you include a supportive tool element, it should closely relate to the base object that it rests upon.

Figure 11-6 The Preview application icon: An example of a tool element

In the Stickies application icon, however, the yellow rectangles are easily identifiable as sticky notes; the icon doesn’t include a tool because it isn’t necessary to tell the icon’s story.

Apple Computer, Inc. June 2002

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Figure 11-7 The Stickies application icon: Effective without the addition of a tool

Notice that the text in the Stickies icon is actual text, not simply wavy lines representing text. If you want to “greek” text in an Aqua icon, use actual text and make it unreadable by shrinking it or doubling the layers.

Generally, Mac OS X user application icons are designed to appear as if they’re sitting on a desk in front of you. They have a slightly diminishing perspective (they are wider at the bottom). For more information, see “Icon Perspectives and Materials” (page 213).

Viewer, Player, and Accessory Icons

Some applications that represent objects, such as QuickTime Player and Calculator, are most easily recognized by the objects themselves. When creating icons for such applications, it’s more aesthetically pleasing to create a simplified, idealized representation of the object, rather than using an actual screen shot of the software. Re-creating the object is particularly important when users could confuse the icon with the actual interface.

Figure 11-8 The icons for QuickTime Player, Calculator, and Chess

206Icon Genres and Families

Apple Computer, Inc. June 2002