GTK_Icon becom symbolic: a really good idea?

headers Gendre Sebastien | 4 Feb 2011 23:37

Hello every body.

I read the guideline of symbolic icons [1] and I'm not ok with all
points.

Using symbolic icons for system status (on top right in Gnome Shell) or
volume indication and play options in full screen [2] is relevant.

But I have doubts about the relevance of symbolic icons for GTK icons
(icons on windows, often inside a GTK Windget).

What is a goal of icons in windows? 
- Be a simple indicator of the kind of button or texte in the GTK
Widget?
- Be a markers, highlighting some GTK widgets that the user must move
their attention?

In the first case, using symbolic and grey icon or colored icon like
don't change user experience. (But using symbolic and grey icon make
verry sad desktop :()

In the second case, using symbolic and grey icon make these icon usless
beacause they can't be markers like their goal. And, in this case, we
need to continue to using colored icon.

So, what do you think?

[1]
http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Design/Whiteboards/SymbolicIcons/UseGuidelines

[2]
Ex:
http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Design/Whiteboards/SymbolicIcons/UseGuidelines?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=osd-symbolic.png
or http://live.gnome.org/GnomeShell/Design/Whiteboards/SymbolicIcons/UseGuidelines?action=AttachFile&do=get&target=totem-fullscreen.png