What Happens to the Icon Artist?
With the release of iOS7 all of the big players have trended toward flatter designs. The web will sure enough follow. Did Apple kill the icon star?
When I first started designing I was always shocked at how detailed app icons were…who am I kidding, I still am. The amount of time, care, and attention to detail was obvious. If I had to put a price on how much an icon cost I wouldn’t know where to begin.
As things trend towards flat you no longer have that feeling of “I can’t make that.” I assume clients will start to feel similar. I understand there still is an inordinant amount of detail that goes into perfecting the design’s colors and symmetry, but will clients see it that way too?
The most popular shot on Dribbble right now is an iOS7 redesign (seen above). It took Leo only a day to complete and it is gorgeous. Once Apple joined the ranks of the other big players it sealed the deal on how people will perceive software regardless of device.
Will icon design become commoditized over time, and will other things soon follow?
I would love to hear your thoughts.
