Working towards rich and flexible file representations

T’oday, icons are commonly used to represent files. In recent years, they have become increasingly more expressive. Initially, in command line systems, text labels alone were used to identify files. With the introduction of graphical user interfaces, generic document and application icons were inutxtuced (see fig la). Over the years, file icons took on an appcamnce that reflects the application usd to crwted them (ltig lb). More rtxently, some applications (e.g. Adobe’s P’hotoshop, Apple’s QuickTime MoviePlayer) produce file icons that serve as proxies[2] of the document’s contents (Fig. lc). These proxies are essentially visual miniatures of the document. There are, however, other types of proxies possible. This paper builds on the recognized trend toward towards information-rich icons. It provides several examples Otfhow systems can emphasize a file’s unique characteristics and thereby facilitate the often necessary task of browsing.