Jobs' response to new iTunes icon criticism
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- herzo
With the release of iTunes 10 on Wednesday, Apple has revamped the application's icon for the first time in many years, doing away with the traditional design of music notes on top of a CD. Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced the change at Wednesday's media event, noting that with iTunes likely to surpass physical CD sales sometime next year, it was time to remove the CD from the icon. The icon change has caused mixed responses, however, with some users appreciating the simplified design while others have criticized it as amateurish in appearance.
Wired reports that one user sent Jobs an email criticizing the new logo for its design and abandonment of the iTunes brand that has developed over the years.
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Steve,
Enjoyed the presentation today. But...this new iTunes logo really sucks. You're taking 10+ years of instant product recognition and replacing it with an unknown. Let's both cross our fingers on this...
/////Despite all of the activity surrounding the media event, Jobs took the time to respond with another one of his brief, to-the-point emails:
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We disagree.Sent from my iPhone
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While Jobs obviously provided no additional thoughts on why Apple prefers the icon design over the old one, it's clear that he is taking in users' comments and taking the time to respond rather than simply ignoring the feedback entirely.
The new icon is not the only visual tweak included in iTunes 10, as Apple also took the opportunity to move the "stoplight" buttons for closing and resizing the application's window into a space-saving vertical orientation from the standard horizontal orientation. The company also switched to a a more subdued, grayscale pattern for items in the application's left sidebar.
Article Link: http://www.macrumors.com/2010/09…
- set0
I haven't seen the new icon yet but I agree with the reasoning behing removing the cd...
*installs new itunes
- eighteen0
iTunes could change their logo to a giant veiny penis and I would still use it over any other music program I've had. When your audience is addicted you can just say fuck-all to marketing like that.
- I don't care about the icon, but why does it need to hog up more than 400 MB of RAM????CyBrain
- lambsy0
the new logo is easier to spot in the dock.
- was it that hard before?georgesIII
- I agree. The old one mixed in with other utility icons. Like Adobe and the CS icons, they are color coded and easy to see. Gestural and intuitive.nthkl
- Gestural and intuitive.nthkl
- acescence0
it doesn't look so bad at this res. I think in the dock the bezel is too thin and looks choppy. I keep my dock pretty tiny though.
- ernexbcn0
I like this one someone made
- http://cl.ly/525658e…ernexbcn
- same shit with different saucePIZZA
- it's more on-brandProjectile
- that flare is awesome!jaylarson
- JSK0
With out progress, there is no progress.
- herzo0
My only problem with the icon is that when grouped with all of the other apple icons it really stands out. Apple normally engages real world shapes for their icons and has forfeited making button like icons enclosed by circular boundaries. Its just so much different and does not really fit within their set.
- trueernexbcn
- the arrangement is playing tricks on your mind.lambsy
- i second the arangment trickinstrmntl
- The ones that are circular clearly have more purpose. The current itunes icon is circular for no reason.herzo
- yeah, the spacing around the itunes logo has no effect on our perception here. //jaylarson
- spraycanII0
Too much for an icon
- adqt0
myyyy problem is, why didn't they change the name of iTunes to something that makes more sense to what all is offered on the program/service. Like iMediaPlayerApplicationStoreBeac... Then also make a corresponding icon for that too.
- herzo0
Adqt agree. It was a very lazy "upgrade".
- iCanHasQBN0
that icon belongs on Windows. it's very PC-like. looks like crap.
- looks very similar to an earlier Windows Media Player iconPIZZA
- ukit0
It looks more like a logo, along the lines of Last.fm etc, which fits in with their focus on social music.
It's a focus I could care less about personally, but from a business perspective I can see how it makes sense.
Also, lol @ people and their whining. You can always install a custom icon, right?
- sublocked0
This thread reminded me to upgrade to iTunes 10. Bleh, the icon does suck. Looks cheap.
- Dodecahedron0
its better than the old one with the CD but it should just be the notes without a circle in white or blue instead of black
- It wouldn't look as clickable/button-lik...CyBrain
- i'd want to click the notes, the circle makes me want to punch it in the faceDodecahedron
- kgvs720
I don't think that the music notes fits with iTunes anymore either. Music is it's forte, but they also offer different media services within it. As Apple expands the iTunes ecosystem, they're gonna have to do something about it.
I thought they were gonna do a major iTunes revamp because of it's version 10 release.
- ukit0
I think that ship sailed. People were talking about that a couple years ago when they added movies and TV, but they decided to stick with iTunes and I'd be surprised if they changed it at this point.
- drgz0
who... who who cares
- designers. this is a design forum. it's our job to give a shit about details.iCanHasQBN
- BusterBoy0
news just in...Apple have trademarked the musical note.
- ell, if T-Mobile can attempt to trademark magenta ...Continuity
