Let me show you a collection of macOS application icons I designed for Xamarin. It highlights my work on Xamarin Studio and its suite of tools, Xamarin Sketches, Xamarin Workbooks, and the transition to Visual Studio for Mac.
Xamarin Studio (2014 & 2016)
| Client | Xamarin |
| Year | 2014 |
Xamarin fundamentally changed the landscape for mobile developers by enabling them to use .NET and C# to build mobile applications. Xamarin Studio was a robust Integrated Development Environment (IDE), a key part of this ecosystem.
2014 Designs
I designed a set of icons for the Xamarin suite, including Xamarin Installer, Xamarin Updater, Xamarin Profiler, Xamarin Inspector, Xamarin Test Recorder, and Xamarin Android Player.
Xamarin StudioView larger image
Xamarin InstallerView larger image
Xamarin UpdaterView larger image
Xamarin Studio LauncherView larger image
Xamarin ProfilerView larger image
Xamarin InspectorView larger image
Xamarin Build HostView larger image
Xamarin Objective SharpieView larger image
Xamarin Test RecorderView larger image
Xamarin Android PlayerView larger imageI worked as a designer for Xamarin Studio for many years. Creating the visual experience of such a robust product was a challenging and exciting experience. However, let’s focus on the topic of application icons for now.
2016 Update
The 2016 Xamarin icons introduced a more vivid color scheme. They included a unique icon for the dark theme in Xamarin Studio. This update reflected the software’s progression and integration with contemporary design trends, enhancing user interface appeal and aligning with the modern aesthetic of macOS applications.
Xamarin Sketches and Workbooks
| Client | Xamarin |
| Year | 2016 |
Xamarin Sketches was a transformative feature that allowed developers to iterate swiftly on code within Xamarin Studio. It eliminated the need for a complete build and deploy cycle, significantly streamlining the development process.
Xamarin Workbooks provided an interactive and exploratory environment for learning mobile application development. It combined live coding with interactive documentation, supporting an immersive learning experience for Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows platform development.
Visual Studio Code & Visual Studio for Mac
| Client | Microsoft |
| Year | 2017 |
Following Xamarin’s integration into Microsoft, I designed icons for Visual Studio Code and Visual Studio for Mac. Visual Studio for Mac is a macOS-native .NET IDE, paralleling the Visual Studio for Windows features and catering specifically to .NET Core, Xamarin, and Unity development.
Below, in the sheet of five Visual Studio for Mac icons, you can see a critical aspect of icon design – ensuring functionality and visibility across diverse environments. The choice of color, contrast, and design elements in an icon must account for the unpredictable nature of user interfaces, where backgrounds can vary significantly in complexity, hue, and brightness.
This image demonstrates my approach to balancing these elements, ensuring the icon remains distinct and recognizable in any system context, a vital consideration for maintaining user experience and interface consistency.
I am passionate about designing macOS icons, as it allows me to merge creativity with functionality. I create each one as a story, representing the essence of the application it symbolizes while adhering to the aesthetic principles of macOS design. I carefully craft the image to convey its intended message clearly and intuitively.
