Patent ID: 8645866

Claim:
A method of applying a dynamic icon overlay to a primary icon of a target file, the method comprising: identifying an end user and a target file; retrieving a primary icon of the target file based on a file type of the target file, wherein the primary icon has a plurality of overlay zones, each overlay zone including a zone level that conveys a relative level of attention for the end user; retrieving file data associated with the target file comprising information configured to indicate attributes of the target file; retrieving a user profile of the end user comprising information configured to indicate attributes of the end user; aggregating user specific content from the information in the file data and the information in the user profile; determining an icon overlay to be applied to the primary icon of the target file based on the aggregated user specific content such that the icon overlay conveys to the end user information about the target file that is relevant to the end user; determining a zone level for the icon overlay for the end user based on the aggregated user specific content; applying the icon overlay to an overlay zone of the primary icon based on the zone level such that the overlay zone further conveys to the end user information about the target file that is relevant to the end user; and displaying the primary icon with the applied icon overlay at an end user system of the end user, wherein the icon overlay for the target file is different for at least two end users based on their respective aggregated user specific contents when observed on their respective end user systems.