Who cares about colors?

Scrolling through reactions to the new iMac colors earlier this summer felt like peering out the periscope from our office, apparently a submarine exploring the terrible depths of a sea of cynicism. Rolling our eyes over the waves of "who cares about colors" takes, we spat out the salty derisives and washed our mouths out with wondering how it could feel to use a computer that felt truer to our individual expressions. Unmistakable as a bolt of lightning: more than 20 years after the original iMacs proposed more personal computers, we're still standing at the dawn of computing that digitizes individuality.

We felt inspired to take a fresh look at what it means to build well designed software. We started with a question: who defines what looks right in software? Could it be that the dominance of Swiss Minimalist (9 Shades of Grey) Design across professional software is a reflection of the sophomoric aesthetic tastes demanded by the Men in Charge of Corporate Culture?

If we didn’t care exclusively about pleasing the bland design palates in the executive suite, we could design software for our users that doesn't anticipate their adhesion to an aesthetic monolith. We could design software that reflects more people, helping our users feel welcome and capable and powerful on their PCs. And though we can't represent the wonderful bounty of human differences in any number of interface colors, we believe introducing variety into a monolithic world will inspire future diversity of expression through the mere possibility of alternatives. We're making good trouble, breaking windows in this regular, sterile, repetitive virtual neighborhood, hoping to topple the whole regime that underpins and perpetuates this oppressive monoculture.

Today we're introducing 7 new colors for CommandDot. They're limited edition and non-fungible (blockchains are not involved as we endeavor to be gentle stewards of our single planet). We've been using them internally for a few weeks and they bring a smile to our faces. Playful reminders that not every decision must be tortured by analytical rigor. It's enough to pick Mint because honestly you're feeling fresh AF today. You're enough.

A lot of people are going to tell us they're just colors. And that we're silly (or worse) to associate them with our grand aspirations for more humane personal computers. We've got popcorn on deck for days, let the parade of regulars outing themselves as supporters of the computer status quo march forth. Weird can't be cancelled, only the powerful live with fear. To the haters: gm, thank you for your attention and if you're so smart what're you doing today to dismantle the patriarchy? Did it hurt when CommandDot announced 7 new colors alongside a dream for a dreamier virtual world? ✌️

We know they're just colors, and colors on their own can't change the world. But we hope you'll see more of yourself in CommandDot when it pops up in your favorite hue. And we hope you'll feel alive with ire when CommandDot shows up in the shade of your rivals'. People who feel seen, feel safe. We hope you'll feel safe enough to use your computer to realize your dreams. Because computers shouldn't just be the vehicles for those who dream in regular, sterile, anesthetized, maddeningly repetitive, maddeningly repetitive, rectangular boxes. And if they're not, we're excited to live in a world with fewer dreams deferred to someone lamer's monoculture.

- CommandDot