Comments on: Download CS3 Replacement Icons

by: Craig D-P

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:44:52 +0000

Kudos, must go to the students who entered up against the “pros”. All entrants from NADC WSI TAFE NSW are or were students and this was one of their first assessments. I tip my hat to them and I agree that some of the pro designers should either go back to school or go amateur and play with publisher…….

by: Girish

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:48:28 +0000

horrible icons! I really like Adams Icons… I dont have comments on first place winner… Its looking horrible…

by: magus

Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:25:14 +0000

terrible icons! all too busy! the first is absolutely horrible! an icon nowadays has to be simple and contrasting, and these are not!

by: sarah

Fri, 22 Feb 2008 22:44:00 +0000

No comment about the first place winner (as usual)…”kitsch” would be the only way to describe it. Admittedly, I was a bit nostalgic for the older icons so I looked for replacements right away and settled with Vito’s because I did not want to venture too far off of Adobe’s vision. I am not gaga about Adam’s like everyone else because color-wise they are a bit too busy and I did not like how the uppercase and lowercase were nearly the same size, shoved in the corner as if they were about to melt off the page with the rest of the composition. I’ll eventually go back to Adobe’s original icons…but for now, Vito will help me through the transition.

by: Fel!pe

Wed, 20 Feb 2008 22:40:24 +0000

coooool!
tnk’s

greeting’s from Chile!!

see me in…….
www.buenojo.com/webpartner

by: casey

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:16:27 +0000

i really like adam’s. now how do i apply it???

by: Jason A

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:51:53 +0000

Just absolutely terrible!

by: Jennifurious

Wed, 16 Jan 2008 18:22:53 +0000

Yeah, I can’t download them either.

by: Allen

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 02:21:21 +0000

Your icons are freeeeking awesome! keep up the great work!

by: Liam

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:03:06 +0000

I agree with the first post. In my opinion awful icons apart, of course from Adam’s set.

by: Vice

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 14:42:21 +0000

I really like Adam’s and Vito’s designs, simple yet creative.

by: Paul

Fri, 03 Aug 2007 09:53:53 +0000

Oh my… this gives me renewed belief in my own ability as an icon designer, even though I’ve never tried it before! I’m not a fan of the new Adobe logos either, but Rok Krznar’s modification of them is better than any of the other entries here.

by: nk

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 08:38:42 +0000

First off, I wanna tell this “cut-the-crap” character that this site does NOT break on Firefox (least not on my Firefox, anyway). I agree with most people here that Vito’s designs are very pleasant, and work nicely as a set. I dunno why everyone is raving about Adam Betts’ entry, th0ugh—scaled down, it looks like a vomity mess (maybe there are more sheep than wolves on this page?).

Now, Anatoliy is one guy who hasn’t gotten enough credit; his designs aren’t the prettiest on the desktop, but they’re definitely the most thoughtful designs of the whole bunch—pity he only made 4 of dem… Danny’s designs are also good (see comment above, rinse, lather, repeat).

by: Seth

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 09:37:49 +0000

Has the “winner” ever used InDesign? How does a lighttable with slides make any sense? It’s not Aperture, it’s a page layout program for chrissakes! That’s about the worst thing an icon can do… look like a different type of program entirely.

by: Jason

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 07:01:07 +0000

Then I saw this:

graphicjunkie.deviantart.com/gallery/

and I thought, oh well, lambs for the slaughter.

by: Jason

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 06:58:39 +0000

Don’t show lamb to a rabid wolf is the lesson of this page.

by: 2nd_Designer

Wed, 13 Jun 2007 03:38:14 +0000

It’s incredible that those icons won the first place… they look so childish it’s simply unbelievable. Just take a look at the Dreamweaver icon… WTH is that ? Dreamcatcher representing the Dreamweaver ? Why in the hell ? She ever used Dreamweaver in her life ? Also, InDesign icon as you already mentioned, was badly retouched, so many errors… you said it yourself… so why she won that first place in the end is beyond me.

Only 100% professional icons are those done by Adam Betts who is real professional in everything he does. Same story goes for those done by Danny Dioguardi. Too bad he created 3 icons only.

Conclusion: First place winner should be anyone else in this competition except this Kimberly character.

by: Raven

Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:10:22 +0000

I am interested in what you the winners used to draw your images. I am reoriented to the market and aside from Photoshop/Illustrator (or similar) programs, what do you use to acquire light and 3-d imaging? Assuming that there is more program use than straight computer painting. Any insights for a novice?
thanks

by: Mike

Wed, 30 May 2007 03:22:11 +0000

My first reaction is that most of the sets are somewhat of a pick and choose. They fail to incorporate icons for all the applications in the creative suites. That should be points off. Adobe, I believe was trying to capture the simplicity that macromedia had with the logos and icons and even packaging. Although I think Adobe should have carried over and adapted the logos for their apps that macromedia had, the icons truly are perfect as they are. Easier to find than the ever changing flowers and feathers and what not, and utilizing a solid single color to really make the icons stick out. If you notice you probably see the color now quicker than the letters making it easy to spot the app. Honestly I think there should be another contest. Rules should include the whole suite of apps so that you wouldnt have a couple of oddball apps that dont match the family. And no using any of the past or current adobe elements. This is a new era in adobes life and adobe is the only one that has captured that fact. These icons are like looking at the first pass of concepts before really hammering out the creative design. Be Creative and think about all aspects of the purpose of icons. Take the first three ideas you have sketch them out and then throw them away and start over. thats going to make your creative juices boil over!

Peace out!

by: opeter

Thu, 17 May 2007 10:39:01 +0000

I agree with these, that say, that most of these sets are quite amaterish and unprofessional.

Also, i cannot understand, how did the jury choose the icons made by Kimberly Smith???

Well, Kimberly tried, to mimic some Apple designe icons… so kitschy icons. OMG!

The only three sets that i think should be at the top 3 are Adam Betts’s, Rok Krznar’s and Vito Zgornik’s icons.

Sorry guys, but the jury didn’t do a good job at all.

by: grunyen

Tue, 15 May 2007 00:55:15 +0000

Am I the only one having trouble downloading these?

I tried two sets (the only decent ones) and I get a zip that gives an unexpected end of archive error, and there’s only one or two icons inside.

by: cut-the-crap

Sun, 13 May 2007 11:50:00 +0000

to be fair, here’s my explanation:

first prize: not too clear. dreamweaver = dreamcatcher?! pfff! indesign uses lightbox? i think it’s for illustrator. the brand new spanking Photoshop became an old camera? illustrator: is that a trashcan? logos are not of the same size, not of the same look and feel, not family. this sucks big time. Not even the best.

second prize: are those brooches?? What’s that element behind the logos? And it’s not CS Cubed. It’s CS THREE. It’s barely readable! OH CRAP!

third prize: it’s just the original logo with background on it and murdered the “family” feel of the set. It just replaced the flash logo and acrobat. Not even good.

And this site breaks on firefox especially this comment box.

by: cut-the-crap

Sun, 13 May 2007 11:35:38 +0000

in fairness, a few are good but everything else are crap! sorry but i’m totally disappointed.

those who agreed that the winner deserved it, sorry but i have to disagree. totally disagree. just looking at it’s preview size now, i don’t think it will look good on high resolution screens.

everything sucks like quark.

by: wes

Sat, 12 May 2007 01:25:04 +0000

it’s easy to criticise and yes most of these are not great. Vito’s are clean and sophisticated and I like Richard’s unique looking icons.

I am puzzled as to why everyone is raving about Adam’s though…..just copy and paste from the new CS3 boxes!? Rok’s aswell look good but where is the originality?…..I believe this comp was about generating new and unique icons. Although alot are poor at least it is obvious they are original creations.

by: pixeslut

Thu, 10 May 2007 20:39:59 +0000

man… thoe winner’s are HORRIBLE. I know its been said in every post, but it bears repeating, lest she ever get the idea of attempting to design an icon set again.

In fact most of them were bad. The only decents ones were Vito’s, Rok’s, and Adam’s. And adam wasnt even in for judging.

Danny’s werent horrible either, i jsut dont liek the fact that he used the old imagery in his representations.

Then again the new icons and branding schema for the product lines dont bother me at all. I thiunk they could stand some glass as Vito or Rok have done, but they arent bad enough to make me change the icons the programs are shipped with it.

by: Tim Houghton

Thu, 10 May 2007 19:43:37 +0000

I was expecting at least a few good icons. Unfortunately these are almost all totally awful. Talk about a pile of shite! First place is particularly shite.

The only ones which are even remotely attractive are Adam, Rok and Vito’s.

by: Mjenius

Thu, 10 May 2007 18:24:55 +0000

What? a recount?

Wow, you guys are relentless. Like a pack of starving coyotes on a wounded calf. lol

by: leopatra

Thu, 10 May 2007 12:43:44 +0000

Ohh my god!…the first place it ugly! Adam Beths are okay though

by: eric

Thu, 10 May 2007 09:14:35 +0000

ouch! the winners icons are the worst i ever seen. hurts my eyes.

judge, hello? i’m sure if someone does some research, he’ll find out that these are just clipart pictures. there is even a clue:

“In the background of the lightbox something has clearly been erased or painted over”

is kimberly your best friend?

by: patrick

Thu, 10 May 2007 04:32:31 +0000

An icon should be able to instantly represent visually the application it belongs to. All of this can be done in a visually appealing way, but without extraneous detail and fluff. The first place icon collection is pathetic. Adam Betts’ design is the clear winner among the participants, and worth the download. The rest are garbage (particularly first place)!

by: paulie

Wed, 09 May 2007 19:50:18 +0000

Cool! I love them!

by: pbear

Wed, 09 May 2007 19:00:56 +0000

Comments are spot on. Most of these haven’t reached the level of simplification to be iconic and the level of consistency to work together as a set.

Anatoliy Omelchenko’s comes the closest I think to achieving the goal among those who didn’t follow the official Adobe CS3 style more closely (and some of those are nicely done as well).

The contest was a good idea though. :)

by: Oyvind

Wed, 09 May 2007 15:46:43 +0000

I totally agree with the first comment from Mark, most of these are plain ugly. Far too much detail, horrible overall look, and badly executed.

The only good ones are Vito and Adam’s icons.

by: mtx

Wed, 09 May 2007 14:49:01 +0000

It’s frightening, to me, that there are “designers” out there that are capable of creating such trashy icons (aside from Adam and even Rok’s). Even more frightening are the judges endorsing such terrible designs. Is this some sort of belated April fools joke?

by: Mr. Reeee

Wed, 09 May 2007 13:38:03 +0000

I’m stunned at how bad these are!

The winning entry is absolutely dreadful! No relation between icons… they’re for a SUITE of applications! Fussy, busy, will not scale well! They’re pictures, NOT icons!

Adam’s set is the best of the bunch.

The results don’t surprise me in the least when looking at the dee-sign of this web site… Horrific.

by: mark

Wed, 09 May 2007 08:39:19 +0000

1st place? are you kidding me? hideous. busy.

kudos to adam, vito, and rok (although rok’s designs seem a bit dated). still, creative simplicity is best.

the rest of the entries are absolutely atrocious.

i’m still floored by the designs that won 1st place. what were the judges thinking? oh, well….

by: Domi

Wed, 09 May 2007 07:50:02 +0000

Arrrghh, my eyes! But seriously, almost ll of these are truly awful. The winning entry is incredible - they really serve no purpose as icons. Adam Betts and Vito Zgonik seem like the only ones who have a clue! Then again, we shouldn’t be surprised that Kimberly’s icon set won.

by: slim

Wed, 09 May 2007 03:11:39 +0000

I’m sure the competitors put in alot of time and effort so I feel for them; however, I do feel that the winner here is the Macromedia Team that developed the original CS3 icons:

I’ll stick with the original CS3 icons thankyouverymuch. You see, one thing they do really well is stand out on my dock and enable me start up apps with a mere glance.

by: iJavaJoe

Wed, 09 May 2007 01:52:44 +0000

Wow and I thought what adobe came up with was bad. Adam’s set isn’t bad, certainly better then adobe’s; jml put it best, Ick!

by: Jaime

Wed, 09 May 2007 01:35:42 +0000

The Best are the ones of Adam. If you want to replace the CS2 splash screen of PS and Ai, feel free to visit this links:

planetoideblanco.blo...h-screen-la-cs3.html
planetoideblanco.blo...-para-photoshop.html

by: jml

Mon, 07 May 2007 16:31:50 +0000

Ick.

Mostly, just horrid. I can see that, and I’m not a designer.

Adam’s is nice, though.

by: casper

Mon, 07 May 2007 09:35:49 +0000

One word: No.

by: atom bum

Sun, 06 May 2007 19:46:49 +0000

wow. The winner is sure horrid– like said, being low on conceptual strength and contrast, busy, unequal on interrelated visual volumes etc it pretty much breaks all the rules of good icon design.

I’ll stick with the original CS3 icons thankyouverymuch. You see, one thing they do really well is stand out on my dock and enable me start up apps with a mere glance.

by: Chris

Sun, 06 May 2007 08:03:43 +0000

Wow… all of these suck except Adam Betts and Rok Krznar’s entries. Why Mr. Betts chose not to have his entry judged is beyond me. All the other icons look like clipart with cheap word art and default PS brushes slapped on…

by: mat

Sat, 05 May 2007 09:55:38 +0000

hmmm.
i’ll stick with the adobe icons i think.

to be fair, some are better than others - but in general, this is like a lesson in bad icon design, especially the ‘winner’.

by: Mjenius

Fri, 04 May 2007 20:38:41 +0000

Gotta love the Apollo and R2. Device central icons look like an old Ericsson cell I used to have. They’re nice, apparently the Apple gel look is still in fashion.

by: Brett Archibald

Fri, 04 May 2007 19:54:52 +0000

I have to agree with the first poster here. The majority of these icon sets are extremely poor, way too busy, and don’t come any closer to “solving the problem” of Adobe’s original icons.

I wish I had known about this competition sooner, as I am in the process of designing my own CS3 icon replacement set and would have contributed what I have done so far.
Have a look at the icons here:
archimediadesign.com/assorted/cs3icons/

by: mike ortega

Wed, 02 May 2007 18:24:58 +0000

Very disappointed with these designs, all are way too busy. The thing about icons is they are icons… not mini websites. I already had Adam’s set from a link on lifehacker(?) but the rest leave a lot to be desired. I also can’t believe that these were the only entries.

Let it not go unnoticed that I have no room to talk - as I entered squat :)

by: Jim Kidwell

Tue, 01 May 2007 20:25:57 +0000

I love this contest and agree that the default CS3 icons leave a bit to be desired. I have to say that my favorites are the icons by Adam Betts and Vito Zgonik. Good stuff all around.

by: José Ramos

Tue, 01 May 2007 16:21:47 +0000

Wow! I have to agree with the judges. The first set is simply amazing. Very creative and well designed. My only bit of constructive criticism is that these designs will get lost when reduced.

But, congratulations, non the less.