Yep, Windows XP icons were designed and produced on a Mac in FreeHand.
Microsoft was our first paying client back in 1997: we made the icon suite for Outlook Express on Mac OS 9. It was the email counterpart to Internet Explorer 5.
https://news.microsoft.com/source/1998/01/06/microsoft-announces-march-availability-of-office-98-macintosh-edition/
https://techhub.social/@maccatalan/114155754052920748
If you love seeing our early work, including Windows XP, this podcast episode is a great behind-the-scenes look at how it all happened.
There are also links there to the icons, concept sketches, style explorations, and even a TV commercial that featured the work!
@beep Yeah, most people don't know about it. We promoted it at the time, but that was DECADES ago and we barely remember it (I had forgotten the name of Outlook Express!)
Best part of the project was that it prepared us to handle huge client requirements. Like 3,000 emoji:
The Iconfactory has worked hand-in-hand with the team at WhatsApp to design and produce over 3,000 individual emoji for their popular mobile messaging application. The suite contains expressive, hand-drawn icons in every category of emoji and includes elements from the Unicode 10, 11, 12 and 13 releases. You can learn more about what went into […]
@Iconfactory I love the globe with the soap! I’m guessing that was for some kind of Internet parental control?
Edit: Given its proximity to the broom, more likely for a “cleanup” task (e.g. clearing cookies)
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