Icon design

Icon design is the process of designing a graphic symbol that represents some real, fantasy or abstract motive, entity or action. In the context of software applications, an icon often represents a program, a function, data or a collection of data on a computer system.

Style and Usage

Icon designs can be simple, with flat two-dimensional drawing or a black silhouette, or complex, presenting a combination of graphic design elements such as one or more linear and radial color gradients, projected shadows, contour shades, and three-dimensional perspective effects.

As computer icons can be used in different sizes, icon design involves creating master artwork usually for the biggest size used and producing smaller sizes from it. It is desirable to comply with overall style of the icon set, using the same color palette, perspective and renderings for all icons. Special attention should be given to eliminating unnecessary details and aligning strokes and objects to pixels in small icon sizes to avoid messy and blurred images.

Sizing

Many modern icons have a maximum size of 1024 by 1024 pixels or greater. The challenge of icon design is to create an image that is communicative, beautiful, and understandable, at every size from this maximum resolution down to the minimum resolution of 16 by 16 pixels. Many icon formats allow one icon to include hinting to ensure visual clarity at smaller resolutions, or even completely different subsidiary images for smaller sizes (for instance, a keyboard at larger sizes, and a single keycap at smaller ones).

Usage

One of the most common and important examples of this are Application Icons, used to represent an app on Mac, Windows, Linux, or mobile platforms. These icons rely on unique and memorable metaphors as a form of product branding. Other common uses of icons include favicons, toolbar icons, and icons for buttons or controls.

Process

Custom icon design process scheme with icons examples illustrating different aspects of icon design

The process of icon design can be divided into two parts: defining the pictogram and creating final design or illustration.

Defining Pictograms

There are three main approaches in defining pictograms.

The first and the most desirable in icon design practice is using conventional images.
If there is no conventional pictogram for the particular icon, a designer can use a literal image, including an image that is shared by the main concept (for example printer is shared image for printing concept), or metaphorical image.
After the pictogram is defined, it is necessary to check it for possible conflicts (for example the snail image is a good metaphor for slow motion but if used as a road sign it will conflict with literal and partially conventional meaning "snails on the road").

Defining the pictogram can be different for the toolbar and other functional icons in the interface and for the icons representing independent software applications or websites which are closer to logotype or mascot design.

Notable Designers

One of the early professional icon designers was Susan Kare, who designed many of the icons contained within the classic Mac OS.

External links

Design

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Disciplines

Communication design	Advertising Book design Corporate design Exhibit design Film title design Graphic design Motion Postage stamp design Print design Illustration Information design Instructional design News design Photography Retail design Signage / Traffic sign design Typography / Type design Video design Visual merchandising
Environmental design	Architecture Architectural lighting design Building design Passive solar Ecological design Environmental impact design Garden design Computer-aided Healthy community design Hotel design Interior architecture Interior design EID Keyline design Landscape architecture Sustainable Landscape design Spatial design Urban design
Industrial design	Automotive design Automotive suspension design CMF design Corrugated box design Electric guitar design Furniture design Sustainable Hardware interface design Motorcycle design Packaging and labeling Photographic lens design Product design Production design Sensory design Service design
Interaction design	Experience design EED Game design Level design Video game design Hardware interface design Icon design Immersive design Information design Sonic interaction design User experience design User interface design Web design
Other applied arts	Public art design Ceramic / glass design Fashion design Costume design Jewelry design Floral design Game art design Property design Scenic design Sound design Stage/set lighting design Textile design
Other design & engineering	Algorithm design Boiler design Conceptual design Database design Drug design Electrical system design Experimental design Filter design Job design Integrated circuit design Circuit design Physical design Power network design Nuclear weapon design Nucleic acid design Organization design Process design Processor design Protein design Research design Social design Software design Spacecraft design Strategic design Systems design

Approaches

Tools
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Organizations
Awards

Tools	AAD Architectural model Blueprint Comprehensive layout CAD CAID Virtual home design software CAutoD Design quality indicator Electronic design automation Flowchart Mockup Product design specification Prototype Sketch Storyboard Technical drawing Web design program Website wireframe
Intellectual property	Community design Design around Design patent Geschmacksmuster Industrial design rights European Union
Organizations	AIGA Chartered Society of Designers Design and Industries Association Design Council International Forum Design The Design Society Design Research Society
Awards	European Design Award German Design Award Good Design Award (Chicago) Good Design Award (Japan) Graphex IF product design award James Dyson Award Prince Philip Designers Prize