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Stockholm Syndrome of the "horrible icons"

C DM said:
They sure can. But, if they were truly good they wouldn't need to grow on people since the people would like them from the beginning.
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I don't agree that if you don't instantly like something the minute you lay eyes on it that means it's bad. I'm not crazy about all the icon choices but I can say the same thing with iOS 6. At the end of the day I think all this obsession over the icons is stupid. Most people don't spend much time looking at app icons. And if we're to believe a lot of people on this site, the stock Apple apps go in a folder never to be seen/used again because they're using all Google apps or whatever.

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notrack said:
Because I think "growing on me" means that you are going through a process of learning to accept them. If you liked them or if they were "ok", you wouldn't need a while to settle for it. It seems like people are making the best out of a disappointing situation. (Note, it's just my personal impression.)
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I think people's personal feelings are being projected on others. I don't like the icons, or I don't like ios 7 therefore its not possible that anyone else could, and if they do it's because they're just settling for it. Again, I'm not crazy about all the icons but I think WAY too much time is being spent focusing on them. There's plenty of icons I dislike in iOS 6 but I don't really care because the amount of time I spend looking at them is next to none. I'm actually in apps doing things, not staring at my home screen.
 
vannibombonato said:
There have been numerous polls here, each poll giving the same result: 70%+ of people prefer the look of ios7 vs. ios6.
And here it's full of people that complain for things like the beta being full of bugs.

Now, how can you seriously expect to have a point?

I'm sincerely sorry that you don't like the new icons, but face the reality, you are the minority.
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The minority... on this board.

Lets not speak for the general population just yet.

I personally couldn't care less about them.
 
Rogifan said:
I don't agree that if you don't instantly like something the minute you lay eyes on it that means it's bad. I'm not crazy about all the icon choices but I can say the same thing with iOS 6. At the end of the day I think all this obsession over the icons is stupid. Most people don't spend much time looking at app icons. And if we're to believe a lot of people on this site, the stock Apple apps go in a folder never to be seen/used again because they're using all Google apps or whatever.

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I think people's personal feelings are being projected on others. I don't like the icons, or I don't like ios 7 therefore its not possible that anyone else could, and if they do it's because they're just settling for it. Again, I'm not crazy about all the icons but I think WAY too much time is being spent focusing on them. There's plenty of icons I dislike in iOS 6 but I don't really care because the amount of time I spend looking at them is next to none. I'm actually in apps doing things, not staring at my home screen.
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I never implied that the converse is true. But, when someone says "they are growing on me" or something along those lines, that is generally not seen as much of a compliment, and usually could be more of the opposite.

Sure a lot of this is subjective, but then we do a lot of things in life based on not much more than a feeling. What might be stupid to some isn't to others--and seeing something as stupid is a totally objective thing itself, so who is to say that's any better?
 
The design style reminds me of this:

wordArtDB.jpg
 
re: "if something's good you know right away—it doesn't need growing" meme...
What makes something instantly recognizable as "good" is not just goodness, but familiarity. That brings us back full circle: The same people saying familiarity (i.e. something having grown on you) =/= goodness are using a familiarity (i.e. instantly recognizable types of goodness, due to prior contact) as their sole criterion for determining goodness! Hypocrites (in a mathematical, pure irony sort of way).
 
In other words, "good" should be instantly recognizable, should not take getting familiar with, yet the only instantly recognizable things are the ones we've already grown familiar with. Makes no sense.
 
cleo1 said:
In other words, "good" should be instantly recognizable, should not take getting familiar with, yet the only instantly recognizable things are the ones we've already grown familiar with. Makes no sense.
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You can instantly recognize something to be good even if it's new to you. Sure, familiar things will play a role, but they aren't the only things.
 
C DM said:
You can instantly recognize something to be good even if it's new to you. Sure, familiar things will play a role, but they aren't the only things.
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Novelty by definition requires analysis, which requires time. Instant recognition only occurs when such analysis has been performed during prior contact. So while you may instantly like something partially unfamiliar, it is the familiar part you are reacting to. This is what is meant by 'classical beauty'.
 
cleo1 said:
Novelty by definition requires analysis, which requires time. Instant recognition only occurs when such analysis has been performed during prior contact. So while you may instantly like something partially unfamiliar, it is the familiar part you are reacting to. This is what is meant by 'classical beauty'.
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But it's not always so "black and white" when it comes to something subjective as good or bad. You can still think of something as being good, especially when it's purely about the looks, fairly quickly once you see it without any analysis or anything of that sort.
 
I have to say, the most beautiful women I've seen are the ones who don't initially register as beautiful, because there is a unique and unexpected element. After a few seconds, you think to yourself "wait, wow. she's really hot".
 
It's like the evolution of good brands. They renew themselves over time and keep up with modern times but still stay themselves. Take the apple logo or the X of osx, it changed several times, went 3D and flat again. Every time it was new, different and yet familiar. It left behind old stuff for something new without bothering the user because it felt right or at least made sense. If it's well done, the user doesn't have to analyse or adopt to anything.
 
I would prefer if they gave us an option to simply change the icons. Then this whole issue could be laid to rest. But sadly, it's doubtful this is ever going to happen...

That being said, I also can't stand the overall look the new icons give iOS 7. Sure iOS 7 is much, much more the icons design, but it is the first thing anyone sees after unlocking their phone. It leaves a really bad impression. And frankly, I spend quite some time swiping from page to page. So unless I pack all stock apps on the very last page, I'm bound to stumble upon them all the time.

Last statement: iOS 7 would be amazing if it had the old icons! (Or at least an option)
 
lozpop said:
A lot of my non-designer friends are telling me that they won't upgrade "because of those ugly icons".
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So what, do they stare at the icons rather then use them? Not upgrading because the icons are ugly? Never heard anything more ridiculous!! What about the funktionality? What about what apps do and how they do it? Non of that matters anymore? And all this for apps that most people claim they put in in a folder named "junk" and leave it on the last page!
 
Tyler23 said:
I honestly like Apple's iOS 7 100x better than what that website came up with. And trust me, I definitely think Apple could improve a bit on some icons and some design choices, but that website's version is just awful..
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+1.

I have seen hundreds of so called designers coming up with all sorts of terrible designs and claiming theirs are lot better then the ones on the iOS 7!! Yeah, if they say so.
 
-MRB said:
This depresses me - http://tristanedwards.me/what-ios7-should-look-like
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Why, because it's not very good?

-Notes is indecipherable.
-That Compass icon is worse. The touch of red in the new one is very well done, no need to make it more dull.
-Maps is muddy and lacks focus. What's that giant grey bar, anyway?
-The Weather app is the wrong color scheme. Why fade to yellow?
-Camera app looks like a sphincter.
-Videos? That icon looks like it's from the late '90s.
-I see what he's going for with the store apps: make them look like shopping bags. But not only is that unnecessarily skeuomporphic (gasp) but it looks like the app icons are wearing lingerie garters. Inner icons are too small.
-The gear in Settings is better but it's too small.
-Reminders is dull, dull, dull.
-Phone icon is too angular.
-Music icon's note is too small. The color isn't as abrasive but it's not very daring, either.
-Mail icon, yuck. Far too little detail and looks a bit like a diaper.
-Safari isn't as neon but it's also almost abstract. Does that look anything like a compass anymore? And why keep the garish white?
-Clock: why get rid of the numbers? There's backlash in the design community these days against minimalist clocks and watches that actually make it harder to read the time.
-Lockscreen slider is too much.
-Inside of Photos app's grey tone looks like Android settings, in a bad way.


I'll give him:

-His Newsstand and Stocks icons are fine, not better, not worse.
-Game Center is better.
-Inside the Notes app is better.
-Inside of Calendar app is better, but no need to tone down the red font.
-Widgets look decent.
 
Last edited:
Drunken Master said:
Why, because it's not very good?

-Notes is indecipherable.
-That Compass icon is worse. The touch of red in the new one is very well done, no need to make it more dull.
-Maps is muddy and lacks focus. What's that giant grey bar, anyway?
-The Weather app is the wrong color scheme. Why fade to yellow?
-Camera app looks like a sphincter.
-Videos? That icon looks like it's from the late '90s.
-I see what he's going for with the store apps: make them look like shopping bags. But not only is that unnecessarily skeuomporphic (gasp) but it looks like the app icons are wearing lingerie garters. Inner icons are too small.
-The gear in Settings is better but it's too small.
-Reminders is dull, dull, dull.
-Phone icon is too angular.
-Music icon's note is too small. The color isn't as abrasive but it's not very daring, either.
-Mail icon, yuck. Far too little detail and looks a bit like a diaper.
-Safari isn't as neon but it's also almost abstract. Does that look anything like a compass anymore? And why keep the garish white?
-Clock: why get rid of the numbers? There's backlash in the design community these days against minimalist clocks and watches that actually make it harder to read the time.
-Lockscreen slider is too much.
-Inside of Photos app's grey tone looks like Android settings, in a bad way.


I'll give him:

-His Newsstand and Stocks icons are fine, not better, not worse.
-Game Center is better.
-Inside the Notes app is better.
-Inside of Calendar app is better, but no need to tone down the red font.
-Widgets look decent.
Click to expand...

-iOS 7 Settings icon is disgusting
-iOS 7 Camera icon is dull
-iOS 7 Weather icon has an awful neon gradient
-iOS 7 Videos icon has an awful neon gradient
-iOS 7 Stocks icon sticks out like a sore thumb
-iOS 7 Compass icon sticks out like another sore thumb
-iOS 7 Phone icon has an awful neon colour
-iOS 7 Mail icon has another awful neon gradient

I'm a real fan of the flat design and getting rid of the skeuomorphic elements, but I believe Apple done goofed with many of their icon choices. But hey, I'll fix that when a jailbreak is released.
 
BvizioN said:
+1.

I have seen hundreds of so called designers coming up with all sorts of terrible designs and claiming theirs are lot better then the ones on the iOS 7!! Yeah, if they say so.
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Most of the alternatives I've seen are based around the new iOS7 icons anyway. If they're that bad, why not start from scratch. Those iTunes/App Store icons are a bit :eek::confused:

vannibombonato said:
Why do they keep on placing a different background when they show their design masterpieces and compare vs the apple stock candy one?

Try the same comparison with the same flat black background, then let's see what's better.

I like the widget idea though.
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Don't you think the widgets make everything a bit unbalanced/untidy? I always thought widgets would be great - but during my short spell of owning a Nexus 7 I realised the true extent of added functionality provided by widgets was, to me, pretty limited. I find the "Live Tile" approach of WP much better.
 
bandrews said:
Most of the alternatives I've seen are based around the new iOS7 icons anyway. If they're that bad, why not start from scratch:
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Each to their own but I think they are lot lot worse and badly designed. But hey... they don't put the pink wallpaper on the back so they must be good. :rolleyes:
 
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