Patent ID: 7992103

Claim:
A method for displaying an icon representing an underlying item on a user interface of a computing system having a processor and memory, comprising the steps of: receiving an indication from a user of a user-requested icon size to use for the interface; for a first icon, employing a three-tier selection process to identify an icon for representing a first underlying item in the user interface, the three tier selection process is comprised of: determining, based on the user-requested icon size, whether an imaging icon is available for an underlying item for which the three-tier selection process is being employed, wherein the imaging icon is comprised of a reduced-sized image displaying the content of the underlying item, and displaying said imaging icon if it is available at the user-requested icon size; when said step of determining determines that the imaging icon is not available at the user-requested icon size, determining, based on the user-requested icon size, whether a detail icon is available, wherein the detail icon is comprised of an image whose appearance depends on the content of the underlying item, but which falls short of an image of the contents of the underlying item, and displaying said detail icon if it is available at the user-requested icon size; and when said steps of determining determines that no imaging icon is available at the user-requested icon size and no detail icon is available at the user-requested icon size, displaying a generic icon for said item, wherein the generic icon is comprised of an image that identifies the existence of the underlying item, but which provides minimal information regarding the underlying item; for a second icon, employing the three-tier selection process to identify an icon for representing a second underlying item in the user interface; and displaying the first icon and the second icon concurrently in a common folder of a file management system represented by the user interface.