Need a generic application icon

[probonopd]

Instead of

we need soemething in this style

or in this style

so that it can immediately be recognized as being an application.

[PaulMcClernan]

Haha! But seriously, I know what you're getting at

[PaulMcClernan]

I did a bunch of testing with an helloSys install on an old Core2 Duo rig this weekend, I have some general mac-like usability issues I'd like to make note of, for example command+1 command+2 for icon/list view in Filer doesn't work. Also, please include the macOS 'secret' key-combo command+shift+. (period) to toggle show-invisible files, and command+backspace for move to trash. Command+click window titles path pop-up menu is another 'Mac secret' feature I'm a big fan of.
I tried some Linux AppImages with many fails (Elf / ABI issue with libQKey...something Qt related to the key swapping? I guess for correcting 'command'-key key, I know the linux OXT app in the AppImage doesn't use Qt).
Only three out of about 12 AppImages I tried launched OK, I'm guessing its better NOT to include a lot of dependencies inside the AppImage/.AppDir bottle? Or the opposite?
Installed OctoPkg from ports for some GUI pkg management, but that port seems unmaintained.
Installed VLC and seemed to work OK.
No OpenJDK >11 in FreeBSD 13 ports, I see rayvnOS did a custom build of a newer OpenJDK.
OpenXION (xTalk) ran on OpenJDK11 and did played a music notation sentence with built-in synth/sampler, but text to speech API was not present in that JDK, didn't do much more testing with that, just happy to have some working xTalk scripting present.
Would be helpful to be able to mount some SMB shares.

[louies0623]

This one, from the humanity

[PaulMcClernan]

I just did a quickie rebuild of my OXT icon vector, I was thinking that gears might be better.
On macOS the executable binaries inside bundles have a different icon (a Terminal), while app bundles have a different default icon (that's changed a lot over the years). Icons that harken back to macOS Classic may be a little too retro looking after decades+ of Icon designers going in a flattening direction, usually encapsulated in a common shape like rounded rect. May be best, at least for consistency of style, to pick one existing icons theme/style, preferably one that has .svg files available, and then modify or add parts to it as needed. I mean why reinvent the wheel right?

[PaulMcClernan]

[PaulMcClernan]

Should look good in a (future) darkMode

[PaulMcClernan]

[PaulMcClernan]

[PaulMcClernan]

[PaulMcClernan]

last one for tonight, loosley based on Monterey (AppleScript App Bundle) applet icon

[probonopd]

Thanks @PaulMcClernan.

Let's go with this one.

#2 (comment)

Can you try to follow the visual style of https://docs.elementary.io/hig/reference/iconography a bit more closely
and make small icon sizes look really distinctive?

For the generic icon, there should be no text in the document being edited (as it is a generic application, not specifically a text editor).

For a text editor, we might want to use it with the text being edited:

[louies0623]

You are talking about this icon, right?

[PaulMcClernan]

OK I wasn't sure what set you were using as a base/default so will go by Elementary for style going forward.
That generic icon app above @louies0623 looks like it fits the bill?
Seems if you have a hand with a pen/pencil it should be writing something?
Back in the day there were variations of it like MacPaint with hand making a paint swatch.
Can convert to .png at various standard sizes when design is settled.

[louies0623]

[louies0623]