Mac Finder Icon Evolution: From 1984 Through OS X Yosemite

The Mac Finder icon hasn’t changed much over the years since 1984. Yes, Apple has tweaked it here and there, adding color and softening soft corner. But in essence it’s the same Picaso-esque smiling face(s) Finder icon we’ve loved for so long.

Well, with his OS X 10.10 Yosemite operating system rewrite, Jony Ive and his design team have changed the Finder icon — it’s the most radical makeover in this iconic icon’s nearly 20 year history.

However, as you can see above, even Jony’s 2014 reimagining of the Mac Finder icon is hardly radical.

Mac Finder: Definitely Blue, But Borrowed, Too?

Perhaps the most radical thing about the Mac Finder? As shown above, some people noticed that Apple’s split-face Mac Finder icon “appears” to be a riff on a Picaso painting.

You know, Steve said Apple was shameless about “stealing” great ideas and Picaso was featured in the company’s Think Different campaign.