What’s the Most Overlooked Element in Icon Design?
Ghulam Abbas
46 replies
Hey Product Hunt Community!
Quick question for all the designers out there:
What’s the most overlooked element in icon design that makes a huge difference?
Looking forward to your insights!
Replies
Ashir Murtala@ashir_murtala
Simplicity is key. Many designers forget that the best icons are often the most straightforward.
Share
Paillor
Launching soon!
@ashir_murtala Thanks for the insight! How do you think Iconstica's versatile icon packs measure up in terms of simplicity?
Consistency, simplicity, and adaptability across diverse designs.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@ditarth_wbs Absolutely! Consistency, simplicity, and adaptability are key for creating effective icons that work across diverse designs. Thanks for the input!
One of the most overlooked elements in icon design is contextual clarity. While visual aesthetics and technical precision often receive significant attention, ensuring that an icon conveys its intended meaning within its specific context is frequently neglected.
Icon's context: While it's important to make icons visually appealing and easily recognizable, their meaning and usability depend heavily on where they are placed.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@nicola_lanzilotto Absolutely! Context plays a vital role in ensuring icons are not only visually appealing and recognizable but also meaningful and usable based on their placement. Thanks for highlighting this!
1. Apparent meaning. It should be clear what action, or concept an icon represents. If it's difficult to symbolise, a label, or at least a tooltip should come with an icon.
2. Consistent visual properties. E.g. same stroke width, same roundness, etc.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@martinmaricak Great points! Ensuring an icon's meaning is clear and providing labels or tooltips for complex symbols is essential. Maintaining consistent visual properties, like stroke width and roundness, also makes a big difference. Thanks for sharing!
Videco - AI Personalized Video
I believe the regular color palette and playing with it
Paillor
Launching soon!
@alexdigitalmkt I agree! A consistent color palette and creative use of it can significantly enhance the impact of icons. Thanks for your perspective!
Zixflow
In my opinion, the most overlooked has to be the emotional and psychological impact of the design choices. Btw Nice tool, Congrats buddy!
Paillor
Launching soon!
@prem_saini1 Absolutely, the emotional and psychological impact of design choices is often overlooked. Thanks for the kind words and support!
@prem_saini1 I agree with you Prem on this, even though I am not a designer but I believe this is the one key thing most people miss before creating their icons.
Consistency, nothing screams "cheap UI" more than having icons that do not conform to the same style/filling
Paillor
Launching soon!
@fady_bark Absolutely, consistency is key. Icons that don't conform to the same style can make the UI look unprofessional. Thanks for pointing that out!
A key element that seems overlooked is the scalability of icons.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@kartar_gurjar Agreed! Scalability is a key element that's often overlooked. Ensuring icons look great at any size is essential. Thanks for pointing this out!
From my perspective, the icon's adaptability to different themes and modes (like dark mode) is often neglected.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@brady_wilfahrt That's a crucial perspective! Adaptability to different themes and modes, including dark mode, is indeed essential for a seamless user experience. Have you had a chance to explore how Iconstica addresses this aspect? Our icon packs are crafted to maintain clarity and style across various themes and modes. Check them out and let us know your thoughts!
I think the use of familiar symbols can be undervalued.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@gianuario_lupia That's a great point! Familiar symbols can really enhance user understanding and interaction. Have you had a chance to see how Iconstica integrates these principles? Check out our icon packs designed to be both intuitive and impactful!
The legibility of icons on different screen resolutions is often something that gets overlooked.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@prudens_moulton Absolutely! Thanks for sharing your insight! Have you had a chance to explore Iconstica yet? We've curated versatile icon packs that ensure clarity across various screen resolutions. Check them out and let us know what you think!
I think consistency is often overlooked. Having a cohesive style across your icon set makes a huge difference in the overall look and feel.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@andrew_dale2 I completely agree, consistency can really elevate an icon set. Have you had a chance to see how Iconstica ensures a cohesive style across its packs? Would love to hear your thoughts!
I never thought about it, but context seems important! The same icon might mean different things in different apps. Maybe that's the overlooked element
Paillor
Launching soon!
@thomas_wright2 Great point about context! An icon’s meaning can definitely change based on its usage. How do you think Iconstica's icon packs handle contextual differences?
I can learn a new icon, but if I forget what it does in a week, what's the point? The best icons are the ones that stick in my brain and I can easily recognize their function.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@ronald_walker2 Absolutely, memorability is key. Icons should be intuitive and easy to recall. Have you found that Iconstica's icons are memorable and easily recognizable?
Universality! Icons should speak a global language. Traveling abroad, I've seen some seriously confusing app icons. Shouldn't good icons be understandable even across different cultures and languages
Paillor
Launching soon!
@thomas_turner3 I totally agree! Icons should be universally understandable. Do you think Iconstica's icon packs achieve that level of clarity across different cultures and languages?
Negative space! It's not just about what you put in, but what you leave out. A well-designed icon uses empty space effectively.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@gemma_mortlock Absolutely, negative space plays a crucial role in icon design. How do you think Iconstica utilizes negative space in its icon packs?
For me, it's all about scalability. So many designers forget that icons need to look good at different sizes. Test your icons at 16x16 pixels!
Paillor
Launching soon!
@fredrick_james Great point about scalability! Ensuring icons look good at various sizes is crucial. How do you feel Iconstica's icons perform when scaled down to smaller sizes, like 16x16 pixels?
Color psychology is super underrated in icon design. The right color can instantly convey the icon's purpose and evoke the right emotion.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@john_brown18 Absolutely, color psychology can significantly impact an icon's effectiveness. How do you think Iconstica leverages color to convey purpose and evoke emotions in its icon packs?
I'd say accessibility is often neglected. Making sure your icons are recognizable for colorblind users or those with visual impairments is crucial but often forgotten.
Paillor
Launching soon!
@eugenie_thompson You're absolutely right about accessibility - it's essential for inclusive design. How do you think Iconstica addresses accessibility considerations in its icon design?