There is, I believe, a total of 47* iTunes controller apps. Their rise and fall usually follows the formula n-y3, where n represents initial excitement at some cool quirky design element; y represents the eventually realization that they aren’t worth the memory they consume; and 3 represents me failing basic algebra. And the small handful of included visual styles helps them get old fast.

So understandably, when I saw the release of Bowtie, I couldn’t help but think, “Really, another one?” Today, after a few weeks of great designers taking full advantage of the CSS and JavaScript core of the app, I’ve instead been thinking, “Really! Another one!!” So I sat down at Chateau Marmont* with coder Matt Patenaude and designer Laurent Baumann to ask them some questions on their iTunes controller addition.

* A gross exaggeration. I actually did the entire thing via email but tried very hard to picture the Chateau Marmont in my head the whole time.

(more…)

Whether you’re a new visitor to MacThemes or a long-time reader, you might be familiar with the name Jonas Rask. As a designer, Rask has been responsible for some of the best icon creations over the last few years, with an immense portfolio of both freeware and professional work. Most notably, the Danish resident artist worked with Microsoft’s MacBU last year on the icons for Office 2008, along with Philipp Antoni of Enhanced Labs. Luis Sosa had a chance to discuss Jonas’ life as an icon artist, work with Microsoft, and his plans for the future.

(more…)

In 2002, Panic and the Iconfactory released CandyBar, the first OS X app to bring safe icon customization to Mac users. Now at version 3, this once-tiny app is now an essential tool for anyone interested in giving their Mac a facelift. So to celebrate five years of CandyBar- and four years of MacThemes- we are proud to present a special insider dedicated to one of our favorite Mac applications, the companies behind the solution, as well as the customization world around them.

(more…)