Adobe CS3, Newfangled Icons
Apple December 23rd, 2006
Most of you will have seen the above icons by now, if not, these are the new icons Adobe are using with their creative applications in Creative Suite 3.
I’ve seen so many different opinions regarding these icons over the last 24 hours, so I thought it was my turn to chip in with a word or two.
When I launched the beta version of CS3 I noticed the icon and my first thought was ” these are placeholder” icons. Boy I was wrong, these are confirmed to be the icons that ship with the final versions of Adobe’s applications.
It’s a large change from the typical icons we are so accustomed to with CS1 and CS2, these are a radical change, and in the wrong direction. If your software is made for creative professionals as small as it may seem, having a creative and intriguing icon is a must to say “we mean business”.
I just hope Adobe realizes this before they ship the final version of Creative Suite 3, because I dont want these icons hanging in my dock. What do you think of the new icons? Love or hate?
December 23rd, 2006 at 12:58 am
I’m with you Glenn, I don’t like the icon for Photoshop, however looking at the diagram above, I do like the shading on such icons as ‘Flash’. But your right, a creative icon is needed for a creative app
December 23rd, 2006 at 2:03 am
I agree with both Josh & Glenn, I preferred the CS2 icons. This chart looks like the periodic table! Come on, Adobe, I thought you were the creative guys!
Hate.
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:04 am
I disagree with you guys, I think the icons are cool and simple… sometimes less is more.
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:11 am
“When I launched the beta version of CS3 I noticed the icon and my first thought was ” these are placeholder” icons.”
Same here!
Aleks
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:15 am
You know what, I’m pretty sure I thought the very same thing initially. Seriously! I just remembered. :-S
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:26 am
When I first opened it I thought this is beta software, they haven’t finalised the icon. And then that ‘periodic table’ graph arrived.
@ Enrique - Sometimes less is more, your right, but for pro level apps that Adobe produce they just be thinking more about the icon than this.
December 23rd, 2006 at 3:49 am
@ Josh - In my humble opinion, these icons look “pro”.
And I think Adobe are trying to “unify” all their apps. (including flash, dreamweaver, etc.).
But as long as the apps work well, I don’t care much about the icons. :-)
December 23rd, 2006 at 4:49 am
hmm… When I first saw them I thought they’re beta icons,too.
For some reason they look “unfinished”.
They remind me of the periodic table of elements in chemistry.
December 23rd, 2006 at 4:58 am
Anyway, I use the cool replacement icon by Adam Betts.
December 23rd, 2006 at 9:38 am
I used these!
December 23rd, 2006 at 11:53 am
Nice find Joe. I’ve replaced my icon with that set, and I prefer it to Adam Betts
December 23rd, 2006 at 8:38 pm
Yeah, great find, Joe! I’m going to download them too, as soon as I boot back into OS X.
December 23rd, 2006 at 9:20 pm
Nice icons Joe, thanks for the link.
January 3rd, 2007 at 1:55 am
Good replacement icons but I quitel ike the new ones - they’re very unified across the board.
April 18th, 2007 at 6:11 am
Considering how badly Adobe screwed up the last set of icons, I can understand the generic motif. CS2 had a quill for Photoshop. A quill is an instrument for writing, illustrating if you will. A flower for Illustrator with the iris showing, an iris of the kind typically associated with the lens of a camera, which produces documents typically handled in Photoshop. These are counterintuitive, and the butterfly makes no sense whatsoever relative to page layout, which is an architectural pursuit.