IconMoon - Online Portfolio of JJ Ying

MenuEverywhere is a handy utility for Mac OS X.  And I just finished the application icon design for it.

© 2011 IconMoon & Binary Bakery Software

The Mission

I was contracted by Binary Bakery Software to create an icon for their new application - MenuEverywhere, it enables users to access to menubar from any window in any screen.  And the clients wanted the icon reflects the main idea of the menu-based software and also make it linked to the desktop environment.

The Process

Usually I don't like starting design in 3D software because that just kill the funny part of Photoshop which is my favorite tool!  But this time, I decided to use a greater perspective angle to make the plain menu not that dull.  Thus I built a rough model in 3Ds Max to get the correct outline.

After the base and menu and cursor positions are fixed, everything can go back to Photoshop.  The plate is the first thing I re-drew.

Then polish it with some medal texture

As my client suggested, I tried some super nova effects just like the default Leopard / Snow Leopard wallpaper and make it reflect the real software usage environment.  And I think it turned out to be something great!

"Let there be light, and there was light"

Menu is the main part of the icon, and also the essence of  the program, so bevels are applied on it to get it more standing out and greater detail level.

I found it is not that fit the environment, so added some more reflects and glows, also the text of the real menu in the application.

The cursor position are adjusted a bit to a front angle to make it as large as possible.

And then some sparkles are decorated to the outer area of the glow, then I finished!

The Result

And I also designed a set of toolbar icons for MenuEverywhere

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