I'll let the UX team give a definitive reply but point out that one icon represents and app and the other represents a folder - maybe that explains the difference. The Photos location icon in the sidebar is also similar to but differs in color and aspect ratio from the Photos app icon in the dock.

Testing this out, using the design of system-file-manager, but adjusting gradient and aspect ratio to be slightly closer to the folders as they are now (not quite as square as system-file-manager, but not quite as wide as the folders are now). If anyone wants to try it out, the branch is here. I did the base folder for 16px, 128px, and the base folder plus the basic XDG User Directories at 64px.

I always considered the folder and document designs of elementary to be kind of foundational to the elementary icons, but I also like this look (and elementary is always changing/evolving). So I'm a little split on it personally. Maybe this does fit the style of the last few years better?

@danirabbit, thoughts on this?

@newhoa oh these are pretty cool! I think you did a good job adapting them. I think I agree the square aspect ratio isn't exactly the right fit here. I'll have to pull that branch and run it, but I like the screenshot here

A família Elementary é apaixonada pelo que fazem!
The Elementary family is passionate about what they do!

@newhoa Do you wanna open a PR as draft to continue discussion on this? I think I'd like to move forward with this direction