Consistency, But in Excellence Not Appearance

· Jim Nielsen · June 22, 2026, 1:24 p.m.
visual-design macOS icons Design Philosophy Iconography
Summary
The blog post critiques the modern trend of prioritizing visual consistency in design over individual excellence. Using examples from macOS icons, the author argues that true iconicity comes from distinctiveness rather than uniformity, suggesting that excellence should be the primary goal in design to foster both quality and deeper meaning.
Read full post on blog.jim-nielsen.com →
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