Comments on: Are Windows Vista icons facing the wrong way?

By: Left of Nowhere

Left of Nowhere — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 17:11:03 +0000

I still think that the folder is facing left. Perhaps you drew the perspective lines off of the wrong edges. I see it opening as if the back flap is opposite the viewer. It might be like holding one out in front of you completely parallel to your face and opening it, instead of holding it while looking at the ’skinny’ side and opening it. When I reread this, it sounds like I’m rambling.

By: Oskar Schindler

Oskar Schindler — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 07:07:29 +0000

Yes, icons are indeed facing the ‘wrong’ way. Also, the Recycle Bin is made of GLASS!! In Mac OS-X, it’s a proper little waste bin from offices and such, but Microsoft chose a glass bin? (Which by the way, is also facing the ‘wrong’ way). Please, the plastic attrocity from XP was bad enough!

By: Kristofer Skaug

Kristofer Skaug — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 11:34:12 +0000

In my opinion, the “correct” orientation of the Folders icon is as per XP, i.e. facing _UP_!!! – not right or left. Anyone who has ever used a real life folder knows you CANNOT tilt a folder as indicated in the Vista icons. It makes me really nervous! Police of analogy abuse, do something please!
I understand from replies above that this specific orientation was chosen so as to be able to show preview of “portrait”-oriented documents inside with front page facing forward.
Again for me, the gained “advantage” does not outweigh the confusion / discomfort of the nagging pull of gravity which threatens to spill all my carefully sorted folder documents on the floor any moment now…

By: Yiru

Yiru — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:52:17 +0000

Wow. I cant STAND how it’s reversed. Maybe it’s just me, because I’m so OCD about these things, but it drives me crazy.

And it’s not a simple matter of moving the icons to the right either. I’ve had them on the left for the last ten years. It would just throw off my life’s balance if I switched them D:

By: Rick

Rick — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 07:58:48 +0000

Only Microsoft could hire some of the best icon designers in the world and then proceed to flip, screw up the shadowing and strokes, add unnecessary glare and reflections to their work.

By: Mantia » Blog Archive » The Importance of Icon Metaphors

Mantia » Blog Archive » The Importance of Icon Metaphors — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 23:43:18 +0000

[...] into how I think the Windows Vista icons are in the wrong perspective, or even that they’re facing the wrong way, [...]

By: Blake Raue

Blake Raue — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 02:45:49 +0000

Why is there even a blog about this? Does it really matter? Is this just to point it out — which I admit, I never noticed and it is an interesting fact to be aware of — or is this a complaint that you don’t like the way they are facing?

By: Lee

Lee — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:29:02 +0000

T”he only icon in Vista off the top of my head which does this correctly are the “folders” icon which open up towards the right. ”

Actually this does face left too, the front of the folder is facing left. In XP the folders were rotated 90 degrees and the front face of the folder was facing right.

By: Alex

Alex — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 13:26:52 +0000

I dont think that this is a problem, this may of been made to make vista look more defined and refreshed from other versions of windows.

It doesnt matter which way the icons are facing, as long as you get the visual clue no one cares.

By: Sergei Egorov

Sergei Egorov — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 07:26:35 +0000

Three things not yet mentioned in the discussion:

1. Vista GUI guidelines specifically say that document / file icons should be flat (no perspective). And they are.

2. The guidelines say that application / device icons should have double perspective (two vanishing points, one on the left, another on the right), set up in a very particular way (look it up). Majority of Vista icons conform to the guidelines, including folders.

3. The chosen perspective is suitable for Vista’s presentation of folders showing document thumbnails. This is impossible with forward-facing folder icons (and Mac does not do it), and with an XP – style perspective (the folder would then show back sides of the documents).

Folders with flat documents inside them are the most visible 3D icons in the whole GUI, so #3 probably was the most important consideration. So no, I don’t think the icons are facing the wrong way.