Icons are visual elements in a design that are used to represent some content or action in a website or an application. The job of an icon is to represent the functionality behind the action that occurs when someone clicks or taps that icon. Since in UI/UX design, the first impression is the last impression, Icons are a great way to create that first impression for any action that has to be performed within the website or application.
In this article, we will discuss what Icons are and what is the step-by-step process for designing icons. We will also discuss the best practices for designing icons.
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What are Icons?
Icons are visual elements in a design that are used to represent some content or action in a website or an application. The job of an icon is to represent the functionality behind the action that occurs when someone clicks or taps that icon. If a user looks at an icon, they should know that upon clicking that icon what action would be taken? Since in UI/UX design, the first impression is the last impression, Icons are a great way to create that first impression for any action that has to be performed within the website or application.
How to Design Icons?
You can follow this 4 step process to design icons:
1. Start with Grids
Great icons are made using grids, for designing better icons you should first define your bounding box and a save zone within your bounding box and then set a few key lines. For professional icons one must use grid as a template for making the icons proportion uniform. Also while creating grids make sure that the grid size must be same for all the icons, stick to the same size usually 24px * 24px.
2. Shape and orientation of the icon
The next step of the design process would be to work on the shape of the icon and get a basic icon ready. By orientation we mean that if the icon appears to be too narrow vertically, rotate it maybe diagonally or in any other orientation.
3. Corners and Stroke
The next step would be to choose a proper stroke for the icon and work on the corners (make the rounded or sharp, etc.). Ideal thickness in most of the cases is 2px and rounded corners with 3px border radius. This will help you obtain a professional icon that is representative of the action it performs.
4. Review and iterate
The final step of the process of designing icon would be to test the final icon design. The feedback you receive after that must to taken into account and the design should be iterated accordingly until a final design is obtained that satisfies the usability tests.
Best Practices for Designing Icons
1. Minimalistic design
Contrary to popular belief, minimalistic graphics specially Icons logos perform better in capturing the user’s attention and are much well taken by the customers. This retains the logo in the mind of the customers. Simple and minimalist design puts less cognitive load on the visitor’s brain making it easier to understand and more impactful.
2. Originality
Originality is an important aspect when it comes to designing icons while on the other hand icons must be understandable and representative of the action that will be performed upon clicking it. Avoid coping the generic icons everybody else is using in their design and come up with an original design also keeping in mind that the icon is easy to read for the user and visual represents the action it performs.
3. Versatile
Your Icon design must be versatile, by this we mean that it should be able to work with different backgrounds. This helps when you may be changing themes of your application or your website. For creating a versatile icon, you can simply design your icon or set of Icons and test them with in different backgrounds and iterate of the basis of the results.
4. Visual Balance
The icons we design must be is visual balance. By this we mean that the icons we design should follow a visual language and follows the color theory. For this make sure that the colors and the contrast being used in the stroke or the background (if any) should match and complement one another.
5. User feedback and iterating
The first iteration of your Icon may not be perfect but taking feedback from the users can provide valuable insights about the icon design and what things should be improved. In order to continuously improve the Icon we have to that user feedback and iterate our design.
Conclusion
Icons are visual elements in a design that are used to represent some content or action in a website or an application. They are one of the most important visual elements in a website or a web application since they are indicative of the action that will be performed on clicking them.
Designing Icons unlike other visual elements requires more time and precision since they are smallest of the visuals and are super important. The most important thing one should keep in mind while designing an Icon (also known as Iconography) is using a proper grid system. Make sure to follow the points discussed in this article for designing your next icon or set of icons.
How to Design Icons – FAQs
How do you design an icon?
To create an icon design:
- Define Purpose: Determine what the icon needs to convey.
- Research: Look at similar icons for ideas.
- Choose Style: Decide on a style (e.g., flat, outline).
- Sketch: Draw rough sketches to explore concepts.
- Select Colors: Pick colors that fit the overall design.
- Vectorize: Create clean, scalable vector graphics.
- Simplify: Remove unnecessary details for clarity.
- Test: Ensure clarity across different sizes and devices.
- Feedback: Get input from others and adjust.
- Implement: Integrate the icon into your UI.
Which software is used for icon design?
Popular software for icon design includes Adobe Illustrator, Sketch, Adobe XD, Figma, and Inkscape.