Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by Synaesthesia 4349 days ago
Well it's a trend, and these don't always have rules, other than people follow them.

Here are a few theories: is it's a refinement of the icon concept, taking it to a higher level of abstraction.

Possibly the reduced visual noise has a greater aesthetic appeal.

Lastly I think the simplification makes it easier to see at a glance what the icon represents.