Looking for the best DMG design

DMG (Disk Image) is the default format for distributing software on Mac OS X. Even if DMG is a standard, the way it is packaged is not. I downloaded a few popular programs and looked at how their disk image is designed.

Camino Disk Image. I find that the graphical instructions at the top take some time to decipher.

Firefox makes it much clearer. I just wish they use the real link to Applications folder.

Interarchy presents clear instructions both in graphics and text. It also conveniently includes a link to the Applications folder.

SnapNDrag includes company logo, textual instructions and 3 additional documents.

Gizmo Project has strong background and clear instructions in both text and graphic.

Opera includes instructions in multiple languages.

Skype has unique fuzzy graphics.

DevonThink is a complex product. You can tell it by looking at the disk image.

Adium added background to make sure you focus on the application.

OmniPlan includes text instructions. Looks simple and clear.

Delicious Library has stylish background that matches the overall program and website design.

Democracy Player looks great and places the focus in the right place. The only problem — the application icon blends in so perfectly — it is hard to separate it from the background picture. Also, I found that I ignored and did not see the text instructions for quite a while.

iTheater tried to replicate the best features of Adium's disk image design. Unfortunately, the background looks way too pretty and it draws a lot of attention away from the application itself — I just kept staring at the nice background.

GraphicConverter supports 11 languages: English, German, French, Danish, Swedish, Japanese, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Czech!

AppZapper follows the winning formula: large application icon, live link to the Applications folder and extra instructions in text.

I love the “shortcut” to the brain in VisualHub.

DayLite is using package installer. I'd prefer a simple drag-n-drop, if possible. Package installers remind me of Windows — you never know in what corners of your hard drive the installer put the files.

Civil Netizen has the arrow wrong way?

MailTemplate is using the disk image to advertise MacTank.net hosting service. It also launches the package installer automatically when the disk image is mounted.

The Q — QEMU-based emulator for Mac OS X:

Redesigned disk image in 1Passwd 1.5. You need to see the original design to really appreciate this.

Disk Image of CoverFlow (it is now a part of iTunes 7):

Mira's disk image nicely matches the overall website and application design.

Version Tracker Pro 4.1. Disk image is open, now what?

Fetch: large product logo at top might be distracting from the application itself. It is nice to see the instructions on how to run the application after it was installed.

There is so much love in AlarmClock:

By the way, disk image files can be used to distribute not only the applications but other digital products as well. For example, this is the disk image of Rapid Weaver template from Bonsai Studio:

And here is the Rapid Weaver itself:

Comments

[Trevor]

The one for Delicious Library isn't bad.

[rkarimov]

Thanks! I added the Delicious Library disk image screenshot.

[Kryszpin]

democracy player is nice.

[Aaron]

I found the Camino instructions quite simple actually - just drag into your Applications folder and eject the disk image. The pictures are also great because they work no matter what language you speak.

[rkarimov]

@Kryszpin - Thanks! I added Democracy Player's screenshot.

[Matt Yohe]

I like the ones that actually have a working Applications folder shortcut in the same DMG so you basically just drag it 2 inches and you are done. Maybe have a way of including an eject button in the DMG as well.

[Trev]

Is this some sort of joke? It's a background picture and in some cases an alias. How in God's name did this make it's way do the digg front page - if a software designer can't figure this out they're not designing software in the first place.

[Quentin]

GraphicConverter has an interesting, over the top DMG background.

[Eric]

This is great. The funny thing is that I just downloaded Democracy this morning and when I was looking at the DMG thought "I wonder if there is a gallery of the best DMG implementations."

Maybe I am psychic. Maybe I should play the lotto. I think I will just go take a nap.

Interesting entry!

[Steve K.]

Use Filestorm for the great looking DMG files!
Filestorm
http://www.mindvision.com/filestorm.asp

[Eru]

I downloaded AppZapper today and noticed it had a very nice DMG - This post was actually quite timely

[Phunky MOnkey]

Check out the one for DayLite 3... it's quite well-done.

www.marketcircle.com

[Sam]

How about the one for Visualhub?

http://www.visualhub.net/

[rkarimov]

Thank you for the comments. I added GraphicsConverter, AppZapper, DayLite and VisualHub.

[chad]

How can anyone pretend to be an auhority on Mac software dstribution when they use the word "shortcut" to refer to an alias - even if it is sarcasm in the case of VisualHub.

[Evan]

There is very little content in this article. Some applications include a link to the Applications directory. Others have background images. Not worth my time.

But strangely, worth my time to leave this comment.

[Kroc Camen]

I like the one for Q (kberg.ch)

[Jim Matthews]

Giving credit where credit is due, I believe that Rainer Brockerhoff's XRay was the first program to be distributed with an Applications link on the DMG. The technique became much more widespread following the release of Fetch 5 in 2005, and the publication of Ben Artin's article on the subject:

http://www.macdevcenter.com/pub/a/mac/2005/09/02/easy-access-to-application-folder-from-a-disk.html

The latest Fetch disk image is improved from the one in the article, and I think we're still the only ones to use a custom read-me icon on the in order to make it less prominent than the application.

Aaron, I must say the instructions confused the hell out of me. Camino was the first app I tried putting on a Mac, and I tried moving camino onto the graphical instructions at first, clicking the graphic to see if it'd do something...
In text saying "move to application folder" would have been much more useful.

[Tom Woodhams]

I made the democracy disk image, originally the wallpaper was brown and the TV was orange very retro, but PCF wanted it blue :(

If you move the TV there is a little surprise behind it.

[Jonah]

Heya,

Pretty timely given yesterday's iTunes announcement--you ought to include a screen cap of CoverFlow's DMG.

Just days before the stand-alone app was integrated into iTunes, the developer put out one final release. It came wrapped in a DMG worthy of this gallery--it's sweet. Check it out:

http://static.flickr.com/98/242821316_680af5d06c_o.png

Peace,

J.

[michel]

camino's one was specifically made to be international ( you know ,people not speaking english) and no need to create tens of translated dmg

that's why there are no text.

--

great idea to have made that page.

of course it's not about ideas for developper ("duh! a link!") , no no , it's about DESIGN , how to show the application, how to explain or add nice polish to the "discovery" of the application.

thanks.

[Elliot]

For me, the App folder alias is critical. App Zapper is the best on this page, in my opinion. Folder alias, big icon, and strong composition that leads the eye to the application.

[Marc D.]

Acquisition gets my vote for the worst .dmg ever. Unclear, small and obnoxious.

PS, why doesn't Apple make it easier for "regular" people to use .dmg? My parents and friends who are recent switchers are still baffled by the concept of a disk image.

[MrVx]

This article is a GREAT idea! Love those dmg's.
If I remember well, Watson was pretty well-designed, too. I don't know if it still exists. If not, I might have it somewhere on an archive CD.