I don't mind tiny text, have even been known to use it to some extent when making icons. I don't think it's any worse than icons with a lot of readable text that has no meaning whatsoever to anybody who's not in on the joke or the fandom or even worse, someone who's in on the fandom but isn't getting the joke because it's a private one. Mary's icon is a good example, of that. *points up* There's text, I can read it, and yet, I do NOT get it. Same effect in my eyes as tiny text, lol. Worse, maybe even because whereas tiny text is clearly not meant to be understood, and is hence just as your friend said a simple design element among many others, something you can either like or not like depending on your aesthetic tastes, text that is readable but cryptic is meant to keep all those who aren't in on the know outside.
Tiny text to me is like... a brush, a tool that I use to fill in the icon space, or emphasize something in it visually, etc. It's usually also the same text I already have in the icon somewhere only smaller, so it doesn't really fall under the categories you listed. But even if it did, it's just a graphic design tool. Nothing wrong with that, just something you can like or not like, lol. What I don't agree with you on is your comparison to a story that would be lacking in some way and ask you to do too much reading between the lines. The use of tiny text on icons has nothing to do with that. Icons might be evident or not depending on a lot of things, but using tiny text on them is like using a frame or lines or any other graphic design tool, it doesn't have anything to do with hiding something from you and leaving more for you to try and guess without enough clues. To me, an icon like Mary's is a lot more difficult to understand than an icon like say... this one. *points to own icon* There's nothing to read between the lines on mine. Sure, it's got tiny text but every "clue" you need to understand it is there. The tiny text is only there as a visual effect. On Mary's icon, the text is not there for simple visual effect, it's there to add meaning and yet, there is a LOT more that's left unexplained in it than in mine. At least I think so (since I just don't get it, lol).
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Date: November 14th, 2005 07:11 pm (UTC)Tiny text to me is like... a brush, a tool that I use to fill in the icon space, or emphasize something in it visually, etc. It's usually also the same text I already have in the icon somewhere only smaller, so it doesn't really fall under the categories you listed. But even if it did, it's just a graphic design tool. Nothing wrong with that, just something you can like or not like, lol. What I don't agree with you on is your comparison to a story that would be lacking in some way and ask you to do too much reading between the lines. The use of tiny text on icons has nothing to do with that. Icons might be evident or not depending on a lot of things, but using tiny text on them is like using a frame or lines or any other graphic design tool, it doesn't have anything to do with hiding something from you and leaving more for you to try and guess without enough clues. To me, an icon like Mary's is a lot more difficult to understand than an icon like say... this one. *points to own icon* There's nothing to read between the lines on mine. Sure, it's got tiny text but every "clue" you need to understand it is there. The tiny text is only there as a visual effect. On Mary's icon, the text is not there for simple visual effect, it's there to add meaning and yet, there is a LOT more that's left unexplained in it than in mine. At least I think so (since I just don't get it, lol).