[Pythonmac-SIG] MacPython logo

[Kevin Ollivier]

On Friday, July 25, 2003, at 04:21  PM, Jack Jansen wrote:

> I think I'm not in favor of a cartoonish icon. To me the major 
> distinguishing factor
> of Aqua icons is that they look so life-like.
>
> Imagine seeing Glen's Python and the Windows cartoon side-by-side, 
> which one
> would look better?

As a program icon? The Windows cartoon. Apple states the icons should 
be both "colorful and inviting." While the Windows icon, due somewhat 
to its small size and old Windows icon color limitations, isn't quite 
lifelike or colorful, I personally would not consider a picture of 
Glenn's python to be considerably inviting. (In fact, no offense to 
Glenn, while it is an awesome snake I can see some people who don't 
like snakes being bothered by it.) The Windows snake icon would 
probably benefit considerably by having an OS X style icon made of it.

> The only advantage of the cartoons is that they remain much more 
> recognizable at really small
> sizes: the purple weight still sort-of works at 4x4 pixels.

Apple's icons are life-like but stylized; to me they realistic but also 
look much different than photos. IMHO, if they used real photographs 
for the Apple icons, they would be considerably more dull and boring. 
I've seen a couple programs where the icons used were from photographs, 
and when you see them next to OS X icons the photos seem out of place, 
and this is of course because they don't adhere to the Aqua HIG like 
other icons do.

Kevin