When Apple released Creator Studio, a software bundle of its professional creative tools, it also redesigned each app’s icons. We’re not talking about a simple tweak here and a new color there; we’re talking about completely different symbols or artistic renditions that are so drastic that they do not instantly trigger a mental connection to the old icons.
However, Apple didn’t get rid of those old icons. Instead, it’s using the old icons to differentiate between the Creator Studio version of the apps (which are paid for through a subscription) and the apps that you buy through a single one-time payment. Why the difference in the first place? Because it’s actually possible to have both versions of the app.
The Creator Studio icons are so different, in fact, that Apple has posted a support document to specifically show users which icons are for what apps. “Identify Apple Creator Studio apps on your Mac” lists each app in Creator Studio and then displays the subscription (new) version and one-time purchase (old) icons so you can educate yourself. If you’re an Apple Pro app user, you might actually want to bookmark it.
This whole thing is a reminder of how Apple changed the icon design in macOS Tahoe. Apple wants app icons to mirror those on iOS, so Mac icons are now confined to the same rounded square. Apple also likes its software bundles to follow the same motif, but it ends up creating a homogenized look lacking personality.
For example, compare the Mainstage icons. The new icon is of a…microphone, I think? [Update: Bruce C. sent me an email that points out that it’s a mixer slider control.] It looks nice and abstract, and even has a Liquid Glass effect. It’s nothing like the old Mainstage icon of a guitar player in a spotlight–it makes you want to raise your horns high and yell, “Rock on!”
Apple
With Tahoe, Apple decided to remove one thing that makes the Mac special: the unique ways developers can give their apps a way to stand out in a crowded Applications folder. We’re now stuck with a dock full of rounded squares that all look the same. This turn isn’t a new development; five years ago, I pointed out on social media that icon design was trending in the wrong direction. The design trend has gone in different ways since then, but the creativity seems to have been left behind.
Here’s hoping Apple changes its mind with macOS 27. Because if you need to provide a guide for something that should be clearly obvious, perhaps it’s time to rethink your approach.
