It’s hard to justify Tahoe icons

2026-01-05 · Source: Simon Willison's Weblog · Field: Technology & Digital — Software Development & Engineering · Depth: Intermediate, quick

Summary

Nikita Prokopov criticizes the new menu icons in macOS Tahoe, arguing that Apple's attempt to add an icon to every menu item overloads users and violates the 1992 Apple Human Interface Guidelines (HIG) against complex icons. Prokopov contends that there are insufficient strong metaphors to support such a comprehensive icon system, and that even if metaphors existed, the premise that more icons lead to faster user navigation is questionable. Furthermore, the critique highlights inconsistent application of metaphors and poor design quality in the icons themselves, suggesting a failure to meet even the stated goal effectively. The analysis was posted on January 5, 2026.

Key takeaway

For product managers overseeing UI/UX design, your team should critically evaluate the necessity and clarity of every icon. Overloading menus with icons, even with good intentions, can degrade user experience and violate established design guidelines. Focus on strong, consistent metaphors for essential functions rather than attempting to iconify every menu item, ensuring that each icon genuinely aids navigation and comprehension.

Key insights

Over-iconification in user interfaces can hinder usability and violate established design principles.

Principles

• Avoid overloading users with complex icons.
• Iconography requires strong, consistent metaphors.

In practice

• Review icon sets against HIG principles.
• Prioritize clarity over icon density.

Topics

• macOS UI Design
• Apple Human Interface Guidelines
• Iconography Critique
• User Experience
• Nikita Prokopov

Best for: Product Manager, Product Designer, Software Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by Simon Willison's Weblog.