July 4th, 2024

Doodling with the Mac's command icon

The Mac's command key symbol, designed by Susan Kare, remains iconic after forty years. An author explores variations, recreates it in SVG, and develops a method to generate diverse shapes, showcasing generative art's versatility.

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Doodling with the Mac's command icon

The Mac's command key symbol, designed by Susan Kare, has been a prominent feature for over forty years. Inspired by a symbol used in Sweden, it remains a recognizable shape on keyboards and road signs. The author explores doodling variations of the command icon, experimenting with different loops and shapes. By leveraging computer drawing capabilities, they recreated the icon in SVG format, allowing for intricate designs beyond manual sketching. Through trigonometry and programming, the author developed a method to generate diverse shapes resembling the command icon. A web app was created to interactively adjust variables and visualize unique shapes reminiscent of the Mac symbol. The exploration led to unconventional designs by manipulating loop lengths and radii, showcasing the versatility of generative art. The author's journey highlights the creative possibilities and unexpected outcomes achievable through mathematical concepts and programming.

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