[JENKINS-65124] New weather icons added in #5065 are "samey" and hard to distinguish from each other

w/r/t #5065

I appreciate all of the new icons, but the new weather icons are significantly more difficult to differentiate at a glance than the old weather icons, since they're all the same color. Apart from fixing all of our builds (who's got time for that), would it be possible to add some color variation (preferred), or at least have an option to re-enable the old icons? Maybe make the sun yellow again and the clouds light gray?

Example:

Originally reported by apottere, imported from: New weather icons added in #5065 are "samey" and hard to distinguish from each other

assignee: janfaracik
status: Closed
priority: Minor
component(s): core
label(s): regression, ux, ux-sig
resolution: Fixed
resolved: 2022-10-19T16:48:09+00:00
votes: 54
watchers: 50
imported: 2025-11-24

Raw content of original issue

w/r/t #5065

I appreciate all of the new icons, but the new weather icons are significantly more difficult to differentiate at a glance than the old weather icons, since they're all the same color. Apart from fixing all of our builds (who's got time for that), would it be possible to add some color variation (preferred), or at least have an option to re-enable the old icons? Maybe make the sun yellow again and the clouds light gray?

Example:

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d3d_z7n:

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Crude mock with screenshot + bucket fill.

danielbeck:

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```
Arguably a regression.
```

Arguably a regression.

danielbeck:

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The "changelog weather" on https://www.jenkins.io/changelog/ and https://www.jenkins.io/changelog-stable/ should similarly be updated with different colors once it's done in core.

ianw:

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And the rain remains blue. A shade darker on the yellow (golden?) ? Keep in mind, grey cloud might want light grey for dark theme and dark grey for light theme.

drulli:

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Maybe it would be helpful to discuss this topic in the next Jenkins UX meeting? Before changing colors of icons we should discuss in general how we want to design icons in other places as well (monochrome icons, multi color icons, etc.).

stevenschlansker:

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+1, if you have a page full of the icons it's very hard to tell at one glance whether its' all "mostly ok" or "mostly terrible". Having some color hints would be immensely helpful.

oleg_nenashev:

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I agree this is a UX regression to be discussed. No strong opinion how to fix the issue, personally I do not use weather icons due to performance overheads.

From what I see https://www.decolore.net/weather-forecast-icon-sets/ provides monochrome icons similar to the previous weather icons we had. Maybe they will be more distinguishable. At the same time, I think that using more colors makes sense

I agree this is a UX regression to be discussed. No strong opinion how to fix the issue, personally I do not use weather icons due to performance overheads.

From what I see https://www.decolore.net/weather-forecast-icon-sets/ provides monochrome icons similar to the previous weather icons we had. Maybe they will be more distinguishable. At the same time, I think that using more colors makes sense

drulli:

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I wonder why we should use weather icons for a percentage value at all. This is IMHO the wrong abstraction. We should better indicate this value with some kind of percentage meter (gauge, progress, etc.). Then we can use the typical color values (red, yellow, green) to indicate the tendency.

Example (not suitable for a column out of the box): https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40146741/gauge-chart-with-steps-of-colors

I wonder why we should use weather icons for a percentage value at all. This is IMHO the wrong abstraction. We should better indicate this value with some kind of percentage meter (gauge, progress, etc.). Then we can use the typical color values (red, yellow, green) to indicate the tendency.

Example (not suitable for a column out of the box): https://stackoverflow.com/questions/40146741/gauge-chart-with-steps-of-colors

danielbeck:

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One use case it helps with is nontrivial aggregate stats for folders; weather makes no claim about how it maps to a percentage.

Not saying we can't replace it, but a simple 1:1 swap of icons will result in more problems.

One use case it helps with is nontrivial aggregate stats for folders; weather makes no claim about how it maps to a percentage.

Not saying we can't replace it, but a simple 1:1 swap of icons will result in more problems.

thokari:

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I created a test dashboard once, and I got inspired by Jenkins visualisation, to the point that I added a "neutral" and a "friendly" set of switchable icons.

mailaender:

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This is now an inconsistent mix of Tango style icons and flat theme.

Maybe add an option to switch between old and new icons?

This is now an inconsistent mix of Tango style icons and flat theme.

Maybe add an option to switch between old and new icons?

drulli:

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The old Tango style icons are deprecated and will be replaced one by one. Currently we have no designer on board that helps with that process. So the unfinished look and feel will stay for a while . Feel free to join the Jenkins UX SIG if you have some spare time and design skills to help with that issue.

The switch to toggle different styles is already there, just the implementation is missing. All Jenkins UI elements can be configured with a theme. So in order to restore the old Tango icons one needs to write and publish a Tango theme (in the style of the other themes like material theme, dark theme, etc.).

The old Tango style icons are deprecated and will be replaced one by one. Currently we have no designer on board that helps with that process. So the unfinished look and feel will stay for a while . Feel free to join the Jenkins UX SIG if you have some spare time and design skills to help with that issue.

The switch to toggle different styles is already there, just the implementation is missing. All Jenkins UI elements can be configured with a theme. So in order to restore the old Tango icons one needs to write and publish a Tango theme (in the style of the other themes like material theme, dark theme, etc.).

stevenschlansker:

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Please consider including such a Tango theme out of the box in Jenkins to help ease transition. I appreciate the challenge of shipping something when under-resourced. But as Jenkins administrator who ends up fielding confused questions from end-users, given the choice between an unfinished theme with significant visual regressions and no clear path to finishing the project, we would strongly prefer to stay with the older style that is clearly visually distinguished and make a decision about whether to opt in to the new flat theme after it is finished and the regressions and kinks are worked out.

Please consider including such a Tango theme out of the box in Jenkins to help ease transition.
I appreciate the challenge of shipping something when under-resourced. But as Jenkins administrator who ends up fielding confused questions from end-users, given the choice between an unfinished theme with significant visual regressions and no clear path to finishing the project, we would strongly prefer to stay with the older style that is clearly visually distinguished and make a decision about whether to opt in to the new flat theme after it is finished and the regressions and kinks are worked out.

tampa:

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I have some spare time to make some new icons, but I cannot even get the svg from source to load in Inkscape or Gimp. What format are they in? How can they be loaded into Inkscape?

Are there just 5 types of weather icons now?

I made some new icons trying to keep a common style that is easier to read, but Inkscape is a bit out of my comfort zone.

http://two66.com/mirrors/index.php?file=Random-Stuff%2FStuff%2Fweather-icons.zip

Using svg is more web-safe, whatever that means, but that doesn't mean completely flat colors are a good idea. Much less using an svg format that is not easily readable. I had a look around and various free svg sites offer weather icons that look ten times better than the ones now in use. To just change something so integral to the user interface and something hundreds of people are used to is not good practice. As some have said at least give the option to use the old icons. Heck you can vectorize them with Inkscape most likely(anyone got the original icons somewhere?).

I have some spare time to make some new icons, but I cannot even get the svg from source to load in Inkscape or Gimp. What format are they in? How can they be loaded into Inkscape?

Are there just 5 types of weather icons now?

I made some new icons trying to keep a common style that is easier to read, but Inkscape is a bit out of my comfort zone.

http://two66.com/mirrors/index.php?file=Random-Stuff%2FStuff%2Fweather-icons.zip

Using svg is more web-safe, whatever that means, but that doesn't mean completely flat colors are a good idea. Much less using an svg format that is not easily readable. I had a look around and various free svg sites offer weather icons that look ten times better than the ones now in use. To just change something so integral to the user interface and something hundreds of people are used to is not good practice. As some have said at least give the option to use the old icons. Heck you can vectorize them with Inkscape most likely(anyone got the original icons somewhere?).

siegfried:

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We are now seeing those new icons as well in our LTS Jenkins.

I do believe that slight color changes would be easy to do (i can do that) but i'm wondering what the status is or the future plan? I haven't seen any mention of this topic in the sig https://www.jenkins.io/sigs/ux/

drulli would you say it would be easy to get a slightly more visible version into main line? Like just a few changes on the sun, a few gray shades for the clouds? If yes i would join an upcoming uix meeting and just propose it.

tampa basically you need either a web ide which supports embedded svg's; what i did when i worked with small svg files, i did that manually by copy and pasting the svg tag content to a svg file with appropriate header, editing it and transfering it back.

We are now seeing those new icons as well in our LTS Jenkins.

I do believe that slight color changes would be easy to do (i can do that) but i'm wondering what the status is or the future plan? I haven't seen any mention of this topic in the sig https://www.jenkins.io/sigs/ux/

drulli would you say it would be easy to get a slightly more visible version into main line? Like just a few changes on the sun, a few gray shades for the clouds? If yes i would join an upcoming uix meeting and just propose it.

tampa basically you need either a web ide which supports embedded svg's; what i did when i worked with small svg files, i did that manually by copy and pasting the svg tag content to a svg file with appropriate header, editing it and transfering it back.

apedevelopment:

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Open to suggestions on how to override the svg icons with 2.332.1 LTS, my CSS isn't that great so I might be missing an easy way to do it.

timja:

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janfaracik has been doing some work in this area and presented at the last ux-sig meeting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOAw3NkVRbM&t=2054s

notes: https://community.jenkins.io/t/user-experience-sig-feb16-2022/1579

janfaracik has been doing some work in this area and presented at the last ux-sig meeting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOAw3NkVRbM&t=2054s

notes: https://community.jenkins.io/t/user-experience-sig-feb16-2022/1579

apedevelopment:

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Good to know some official colored weather icons are coming at some point.

In the mean time I have updated my theme for 2.332.1 LTS, it requires both a css and javascript url in the Simple Theme Plugin now. Instructions in the repository:

https://github.com/APEdevelopment/jenkins-colour-weather-icons

(Make sure the @version you are using for both files is @1.1.2)

Good to know some official colored weather icons are coming at some point.

In the mean time I have updated my theme for 2.332.1 LTS, it requires both a css and javascript url in the Simple Theme Plugin now. Instructions in the repository:

https://github.com/APEdevelopment/jenkins-colour-weather-icons

(Make sure the @version you are using for both files is @1.1.2)

janfaracik:

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Just opened a PR to address this issue - [JENKINS-65124] Update weather icons #7208 - do let me know your thoughts.

Thanks, Jan.

Just opened a PR to address this issue - #7208 - do let me know your thoughts.

Thanks, Jan.

[Original relates_to from Jira: JENKINS-65850]

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[JENKINS-65124] New weather icons added in #5065 are "samey" and hard to distinguish from each other #11957

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