Author Topic: So called modern icons are simplistic - why? (Read 906 times)

Matthew · « **on:** July 20, 2016, 01:40:09 PM »

It used to be that "modern" or "improved" icons had more colors, drop-shadows, 3D shading, more photo-realistic, etc.

Now apparently we've come full circle. Now everything is super minimalistic with no more than 4 colors used (sometimes even TWO colors, with white being one of them), and NO details.

And everyone matter-of-factly calls this "more modern" without batting an eye.

Is this just so people can look back on the twenty-teens in computing and laugh at the silly fad that was minimalism? Because I'm laughing right here and now!

I can barely tell what the icons even represent anymore...

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** July 20, 2016, 01:44:04 PM »

Here are some more examples:

noOneImportant · « **Reply #2 on:** July 20, 2016, 08:05:25 PM »

Conventions can be weird. Simplistic icons could be more lightweight, which is one potential reason, but really, who knows. Most likely some big company (google probably) went the minimalist route and everyone else followed suit.

TKGS · « **Reply #3 on:** July 20, 2016, 08:12:07 PM »

When I saw the title of this topic, I thought it was going to be about things like this:

Neil Obstat · « **Reply #4 on:** July 20, 2016, 09:36:33 PM »

The great Koran-kissing santo subito?

Maybe a minimalist style would look more appropriate!

TKGS · « **Reply #5 on:** July 21, 2016, 07:54:21 PM »

Quote from: Matthew

It used to be that "modern" or "improved" icons had more colors, drop-shadows, 3D shading, more photo-realistic, etc.

Now apparently we've come full circle. Now everything is super minimalistic with no more than 4 colors used (sometimes even TWO colors, with white being one of them), and NO details.

Looking at my desktop on the PC, I note that the few older programs that I have on it have very detailed icons. As you note, they are multi-colored, more realistic looking, 3-D, etc. The newer programs are plain.

The first "plain" icons I remember seeing was in one of the versions of Microsoft Office. Since then, the icons have gotten uglier and simpler as time passes.

I think the reason for this is that "Millennials" really don't have any imagination. Most of them don't read anything not on a "device". Their whole lives had been planned for them until they reached the age of majority. They can't do things on their own; everything has to be a team project so the end product is always the lowest common denominator. Thus, they have great difficulty in imagining what an icon might really look like for a program so they just draw something simple.

SoldierofCtK · « **Reply #6 on:** July 21, 2016, 09:55:52 PM »

I believe it has something to do with Apple's decision to get away from skeuomorphism in their designs and other companies followed suit. Design trends are constantly changing and the current trend toward minimalism is also an rejection of the Web 2.0 style from about a decade ago. Drop shadows and realistic icons will make their comeback, if the internet is still around in 5-15 years...