• @acosmichippo
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    15 days ago

    i think they did need to unify the design and branding but i also agree they went too far with it. if they had only chosen 1-2 colors for each app icon that would have helped a lot.

    gmail - red

    drive - yellow

    maps - green

    meet - blue

    calendar - lighter blue

    problem solved

      • @pyre
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        2915 days ago

        i think they forgot to mention: they’re not all the same shape.

        • @Viking_Hippie
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          4815 days ago

          True. Colorblind people come in all shapes and sizes.

        • @[email protected]
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          -115 days ago

          Except that the original post was contesting that those shapes are indistinguishable from each other. My point, therefore, is that the solution offered in the post I replied to would still be indistinguishable to 300 million people.

          • @pyre
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            215 days ago

            the squares are there for comedic effect. the shapes are not actually indistinguishable. but at a glance, color is a much faster tool we use to identify these icons. so the problem here is that it takes longer for us to decipher a Google app icon, and the solution would be to differentiate the colors.

            also this would help colorblind people as well, because removing unnecessarily complicated colors would make the shapes easier to identify as well.

            • @[email protected]
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              114 days ago

              Yes I understand the meme and I’m not trying to get into an argument. I’m just trying to educate as to why relying on color as the primary differentiator is not a solution to the problem as proposed.

              at a glance, color is a much faster tool we use to identify these icons

              Think about what you’re saying here, and consider how ridiculous it would sound if you said that to someone who was completely blind.

              Sure, to a “color normal” person, something’s color is a great differentiator, but even when using a colorblind friendly pallette it’s just far easier for us to distinguish different shapes than colors. We’ve spent our whole lives adapting to a lack of color information so asking us to be able to work purely on color alone is like asking a blind person to see.

              Again, and this part is really important and oft overlooked - this applies even when a designer has gone out of their way to choose a colorblind friendly pallette. It’s just not that easy for us. I honestly couldn’t even tell you what Google’s corporate pallette is without looking and I’m sure that information is second nature to normies.

              • @pyre
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                14 days ago

                this image has two groups:

                at first glance did you separate it into red v blue or circles vs squares?

                you’re absolutely making things up. we’ve evolved to differentiate shades as well, which supercedes colors. even for colorblind people this kind of image should be differentiated by color or shade first.

                not to mention not all people have perfect vision, in fact people with blurry vision probably outnumber colorblind people, and that would make the shapes not extremely reliable, especially when most icons would be more or less squares and circles with small details changed.

                • @[email protected]
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                  114 days ago

                  you’re absolutely making things up

                  I could tell you what I see but you wouldn’t believe me anyway.

                  I was trying to show that not everyone perceives the world around them in the same way, and most people find it fascinating when they take a step back to really think about it. But you’ve already decided that simply not being able to see colors in the same way as you makes me inherently wrong, so I’m not going to engage any further.

      • @angrystego
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        415 days ago

        The icoms would still have different shapes, right?

        • @ngwoo
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          115 days ago

          Which is how they are now

        • @[email protected]
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          -115 days ago

          Yes, but the original post is suggesting that they’re ambiguous enough to all be squares. Running with that concept, making a bunch of squares different colors doesn’t fix the issue for those of us who can’t easily identify those colors.

      • @jaybone
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        215 days ago

        Most software pretty much doesn’t give a fuck about the visually impaired despite everyone talking big shit about accessibility. So I could certainly give a fuck what color someone’s logo is.

      • @acosmichippo
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        15 days ago

        then what is your solution? do you expect them to redo their entire corporate branding palette?

        • @[email protected]
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          115 days ago

          Nope. The icons are honestly good enough as they are, but the original post was being disingenuous in suggesting they’re no more distinguishable than squares.

          Running with that logic, having each square a different color does not solve the problem for those of us who can’t easily distinguish those colors.

          • @acosmichippo
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            115 days ago

            it’s a meme, so obviously it’s hyperbolic. but the point is valid.