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Salty · Apr 13, 2012, 01:53 AM

So I just installed the Photoshop CS6 beta and I have to say ... for a company that makes the defacto standard in Graphics Software, Adobe sure sucks ass at making decent icons. Like, it's not even that they're a little bad. The icons for Adobe's apps ever since I think it was CS2 or 3 have just looked TERRIBLE! Thankfully Adam Betts generally has replacement icon sets. But, is there anyone who works in graphic design that doesn't find Adobe's icons flat out offensive? And if so ... why aren't you as neurotic as me!? The new one is like a navy blue with a baby blue with a big Ps in the middle.

It's like with every new version of creative suite they find the dumbest intern they can and task them with creating all the icons. What gives?

ajprice · Apr 13, 2012, 05:25 AM

Offensive? No. It is boring since the CS3 coloured squares though, I do prefer the original 'eye' icons. The CS 1 and 2 'feather' icons were horrible.

CS5

CS6

andi*pandi · Apr 13, 2012, 11:43 AM

As Adobe grew and had more products, it became more of a challenge to have both interesting icons and a unified identity system with all 45 apps. Thus, the simplified and boring "initials" "concept."

I miss the eye also.

Athens · Apr 13, 2012, 11:58 AM

I miss the eye, it was the corner stone Icon for so many years for me.

subego · Apr 13, 2012, 12:06 PM

I liked the feather. What was so bad about it other than it replaced the eye?

Waragainstsleep · Apr 13, 2012, 12:55 PM

I'm not keen on that new one now I see it.

Thorzdad · Apr 13, 2012, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by subego

I liked the feather. What was so bad about it other than it replaced the eye?

When viewed in relation to the other Creative Suite icons of that vintage, it was very easy to mistake the Pshop, ImageReady, and InDesign icons. More than occasionally, I would click on the wrong icon in the Dock. At least Illustrator's icon of that era was a pink chrysanthemum and was difficult to mistake for any other CS app. I do miss Venus, though.

And, yeah, the new one sux badly. Glad I'll probably never pony-up for CS6. I skipped CS5.5, as it is.

subego · Apr 13, 2012, 01:37 PM

I just use PS and Illustrator, so I got the good end of that deal.

chabig · Apr 14, 2012, 10:22 AM

It looks like the CS6 icon is optimized for the "Metro" look.

Salty · Apr 14, 2012, 04:26 PM

The CS3 icons didn't look bad. CS4 looked lousy, 5 looked terrible, 6 looks like Word Art.

It's even worse than the BlackBerry icons.

I really wish that Adobe would come up with something that doesn't look like ass in the dock compared to every small companies apps.

Thorzdad · Apr 14, 2012, 05:09 PM

I believe the concept behind the CS3-4 icons was to evoke the Periodic Table. That the Creative Suite apps were "elemental" to creativity or something.
Why CS5 looks more like a book, though, baffles me. And that CS6 icon...I dunno. Maybe they handed the icon job off to a secretary?

So, is it true that CS6 is Lion+ only?

Jawbone54 · Apr 14, 2012, 08:02 PM

Maybe I'm just an idiot, but I actually like the CS4 icon, along with CS2.

I hate all the eye icons, and really dislike CS5 and CS6. CS6 is probably the worst out of the bunch, and one of the trashiest icons I've seen.

Eug · Apr 14, 2012, 10:30 PM

I liked the eyes. I liked the feather ones, but they kinda were confusing with the other Adobe apps.

As for the CS3 icon, when I first saw it installed on a machine, I thought it was some homemade icon for a warez version of Photoshop.

Salty · Apr 15, 2012, 03:47 AM

See CS3 I didn't hate, they seemed consistent, kind of reminded me of Macromedia's funky icon conventions though a little more staunch.

These new ones just blow though. I'd actually be super happy with them doing something like the icons in Macromedia MX2004 those were genuinely good though still obviously part of a suite. Hell I'd even say that the current Office icons (which I think are horrid) are still better than the CS6 ones, and even CS5.

richwig83 · Apr 15, 2012, 05:03 AM

As its so easy to change the icon, I'm not sure what the fuss is all about. ;-)

angelmb · Apr 15, 2012, 10:21 AM

Trying to find the reasoning behind an icon design without getting a wider look at how Adobe has been shaping the whole Creative Suite as an unit over the years and the role the 2005 had on it is a hard task. No way I am justifying Adobe's choices, just willing to give some insight about it.

The current CS system is built on color relations which date back to CS2. Keener ones might have noticed that the feather from CS2 stablished the strong color associations for every app. Back then the 'Creative Suite' was hardly anything more than Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign sold together at a 'fair' (cough) price.

The year is 2005 and Adobe acquires Macromedia. How do you merge dozens of product offerings from two different companies into one cohesive system which in turns must also represent Adobe as the parent brand.?

With type and color.

Mnemonics did arrive with CS3 albeit not as a whole system since at that point the packaging was made to reflect the 'creative flow' pursuant to the acquisition of Macromedia. With CS3, the square pixel started to become the branding focus for Adobe and the splash screens a natural extension of such system. A far cry from the coeval CS3 packaging, which was nothing but the Swan song as color and type were being stablished as the core-foundations upon which upcoming versions of the suite were built. In fact, 'Adobe Clean', the typeface the icons use, has been adopted as Adobe's new corporate typeface.

The mnemonic naming system and color-coding came in full force with CS4 in order to imbue recognition from the icons to the packaging. A beautiful and simple modern solution. Genuine graphic design at last.

So, after the great work accomplished with the CS4 identity, Adobe found out that even when you are working with a full spectrum of colors, there are only so many easily differentiable. Trying to organize products by family on color recognition got a bit confusing. At smaller sizes, it became just too hard. This leads us to the smallest in the family: the icon.

As paradoxical as you might find it, Adobe thought that adding an additional accent color was the best way to achieve a visual differentiation between products. And so, the icons were modified into those folded planes which held the answer to such a potential paradox, creating a more dynamic language than the monolithic expression of the CS3 and CS4 systems, better reflected (pun intended) on the CS5 splash screens.

As for the packaging, the work for CS5 Premium family of products (Production, Web and Design) is stellar. They played with projections and reflections to create what was dubbed as 'Creative Suite in the City'.

CS5 Master Collection packaging, on the other hand, made to reflect 'the spirit of artistry', is seen as a huge step back with such a 'juvenile' design.

As for CS6, I guess they are just trying to reinforce the subtle two-colors design making it more noticeable which doesn't necesarly means more desirable. It seems to me they kind of wanted to give the bunch a bit of the timeless beauty of National Geographic. Either that or Boy Scouts Merit Badges.

Eug · Apr 15, 2012, 11:39 AM

Well, whatever the history, IMO the bland "Ps" icon just looks ugly yet boring at the same time... so much so that I thought it was made by some teenage kid in his mom's basement when he uploaded his hacked version of Photoshop to The Pirate Bay or something.

is not · Apr 15, 2012, 12:24 PM

nice story

Salty · Apr 15, 2012, 06:54 PM

The thing is they could have similar looking icons that don't look so boring. Also this has spilled out into their iPad apps. Photoshop touch looks terrible.

abby · Apr 19, 2012, 02:13 PM

ohh i don't know why but i like the logo :|

Salty · Apr 20, 2012, 07:58 PM

Originally Posted by abby

ohh i don't know why but i like the logo :|

Do you work for Adobe?

angelmb · Apr 23, 2012, 04:19 AM

Does Adobe run a cosmetics business now? Those CS6 Suite boxes sure are annoying although should look great at Vogue's offices all around the world…(sarcastic) Heavy is the head that wears the crown !!!

Salty · Apr 24, 2012, 01:31 AM

While I'm not in love with the glorification of skinny women who look like adolescent boys, at least those are half way interesting.

angelmb · Apr 28, 2012, 12:45 PM

…at least those are half way interesting

Sitting on a wall next to a Giorgio Casu painting telling a story that was not logically arrived at, it simply was.

Also, I have settled on the thought that the icons come with iPhone-like bumpers now.

abby · May 2, 2012, 12:54 PM

Originally Posted by Salty

Do you work for Adobe?

lol! no. why?
idk why but i kinda like it. i'm sorry to say that.

angelmb · May 2, 2012, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by abby

lol! no. why?
idk why but i kinda like it. i'm sorry to say that.

Delving into opinions, subjectivity and personal preference doesn't mean one is wrong and one is right. He posts his opinion and so do you. Since opinions don't rely on facts, his is not better than yours.

Salty · May 2, 2012, 01:47 PM

Originally Posted by angelmb

Delving into opinions, subjectivity and personal preference doesn't mean one is wrong and one is right. He posts his opinion and so do you. Since opinions don't rely on facts, his is not better than yours.

It is my opinion that my opinion is in fact better.

angelmb · May 2, 2012, 01:54 PM

Others may hold a different opinion. That's a fact.

abby · May 3, 2012, 11:40 AM

Originally Posted by angelmb

Delving into opinions, subjectivity and personal preference doesn't mean one is wrong and one is right. He posts his opinion and so do you. Since opinions don't rely on facts, his is not better than yours.

well.. you're right