Alan Kay wrote:
> 
> I think this is a good route (one of them anyway ...). I'd like to
> see Squeak have a nice look -- but I don't have any particular
> interest in imitating Mac or Windows (both of which I think are
> pretty ugly). Can the Squeak list put forth some designs that are
> more than skins?
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Alan
> 
> ------

I don't claim that the Mac is ideal.  However, it is possible to do much
worse than the current Mac look, as many of the Linux GUI projects
demonstrate.  (The Enlightenment window manager is pretty bad.  One
version had the online help displayed in a bizarre font that was almost
unreadable.  But it looked kewl.)  Most hackers are not graphic
designers.  From what I've read, both the Star and the Mac developers
realized that they needed help and worked with graphic designers.

Unfortunately, we may not be able to afford to hire outside
specialists.  Unless we can get someone to donate his work, largely
copying the Mac may be a compromise that we deal with until we can come
up with something better.  Worse is better, after all.
http://www.ai.mit.edu/docs/articles//good-news/subsection3.2.1.html