The foot logo of the GNOME desktop environment represents the GNOME project’s original mascot, which is a foot with sandals. It symbolizes the project’s focus on freedom, flexibility, and forward movement in the world of open-source software.
As someone who doesn’t know any Linux logos, I have to conclude these are Toilet Linux, 400bpm Linux, SCROG Linux, Ketamine Linux, Fetlife Linux, Waterwars Linux, Penis Inspection Day Linux, Microsoft Windows 11, and some variant where the volume is stuck at max and will bite you Linux.
Honest question - what about these are skeuomorphic? I mean, I know that the Save button icon being a floppy disk is skeuomorphic because we don’t save our files on floppies anymore, but what about these are no longer necessary to the concept?
A skeuomorph is a derivative object that retains ornamental design cues (attributes) from structures that were necessary in the original.[3] Skeuomorphs are typically used to make something new feel familiar in an effort to speed understanding and acclimation. They employ elements that, while essential to the original object, serve no pragmatic purpose in the new system.
Yes, this means for example using a Pen as a writing icon. You do not need a pen, to write on a computer.
This just means that they’re similar, it’s something else when it comes to obsolescence like floppies. The goal is to design it in such a way that it’s an analogue to some familiar counterpart.
This is in contrast to more abstract design patterns
Some devs of yore considered using another icon for save. A piggy bank. The idea was considered for a while, and was finally scrapped in favour of the traditional floppy.
This was in an old version of word apparently. Assuming that the story is authentic.
Though I agree that skeuomorphs are generally concrete rather than abstract representations, ignoring the obsolescence aspect means that almost any design element that looks like a concrete object (however stylized it may be) would then be a skeuomorph, right?
Your camera app icon that looks like a camera lens - skeuomorph? I’d say no because cameras still have lenses.
When you use your camera app and your phone speaker plays a sound that mimics an SLR shutter clicking even though your phone’s camera doesn’t use a shutter curtain - skeuomorph? Yes, it mimics something familiar from a previous design no longer necessary in the current design.
I am a bit of a word nerd and recognize that words can change in meaning over time, but I’ve always understood skeuomorph to be in line with my usage. Can anyone point me to an alternate definition?
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