The Iconfactory vs. AI
ChatGPT and other AI services are basically killing @Iconfactory and I’m not exaggerating or being hyperbolical.
First Twitter/Elon killed our main app revenue that kept the lights on around here, then generative AI exploded to land a final blow to design revenue.
They’ve been such a staple of the Mac indie scene that I can’t imagine them going away. At Sketch we do all our design in-house but if we weren’t, they’d have been the first at who’s doors I’d be knocking.
I would have assumed they’d be booked solid this summer, with all the design work necessitated by Apple’s announcement of Liquid Glass. I’m sorry to hear that’s not the case. If you need your icons refreshed for the 26 cycle, here’s your chance to work with some of the best designers in the business.
I think what’s especially disheartening and frustrating is that AI-generated “design” is taking over and seen by bean counters as “good enough” even though it lacks humanity and skill. Anyone with an eye for detail will notice flaws or an uncanniness, no matter how “perfect” it is.
In preparation of macOS Tahoe, is a design resistance movement on the horizon?
Like, I don’t want to be part of the “icon jail evasion. Can we play within the jail?
Previously:
3 Comments RSS · Twitter · Mastodon
I tried to hire Icon Factory for a logo design, apo, and website design. They said they would give me a quote in under a week and it took almost a month to get a quote, and they only responded after I reached out to them nearly a month later.
If you're trying to work with the company the quoting phase should be timely. It wasn't a good sign so I passed on working with them.
Blaming ChatGPT? Blaming Elon Musk? I’m not buying it.
Like most longtime Mac users—dating back to the late ’80s and early ’90s—I’ve always had a real fondness for The Iconfactory. We all made liberal use of their freeware icons to customize our Macs. They were part of the culture, and I genuinely wanted to support them.
In fact, I’ve spent close to $80,000 on Iconfactory design services—so I find it hard to believe that the kind of developer now using AI-generated artwork was ever their target market to begin with.
I stopped using them for a different reason: they were overpriced, and I was consistently underwhelmed by the results. It always felt like, because I wasn’t part of the “in crowd,” my projects weren’t really valued.
Case in point: my last request was straightforward—update some existing icons and design a new menu bar extra. I gave them a firm $12k budget, explained the timeline, and provided detailed concept sketches. They said that was fine… then disappeared for two months before coming back with a $32k quote. I quickly found a more responsive, more talented designer—and haven’t looked back.
What made it worse? While they were happy to take my money, they were also loudly promoting work for one of my direct competitors—after they’d already started working with me. That never sat right. I think those of us who genuinely wanted to support them—the longtime fans—got pushed aside so they could chase the “cool” clients. And now those clients are gone too.
There are plenty of great designers out there who do better work, communicate clearly, and don’t coast on nostalgia. Iconfactory used to be great. These days? Not so much.
I don't see why anyone would need to hire talented icon designers to "glassify" their icon.
Have the outlines. Add some color. Sorry back and enjoy the auto rendered monstrosity.
