In the digital world, there are icons which work as the signs and sentinels to guide visitors. It is years and years of using computers that has made computer users click on a tiny printer if they want to get a print out, a tiny disc sign to save the work, a tiny manila folder to open a document and other such things. These are the symbols created by geniuses to make it easier for the users to navigate. Like they say a picture is worth a thousand words, for this ease of navigation we can say that an icon designing is worth a thousand clicks.
Icons give a unified look to the user interface and add value to your product. A streamlined graphic style will add the professional look to the user interface. An effective icon design comes only when a user has a holistic approach to issues like the style of icon you want to create, the perspective behind it, the level of lighting, the level of simplicity, icon’s size and the audience it is intended at.
So today we have brought you all the principles that you can follow to create a nice icon. These are the best tips that you can use as a reference and help when designing an application icon. The tips mentioned here can be used either you are starting off for the first time or are taken a more keen interest in your work. The purpose behind forming, in fact, bringing together these tips and ideas is to cover avoiding the faults that occur easily because they are too common or minute. Our tips here are the ones you can use to make sure you get the perfect icon for the application you are working for. If you read through this article, you will know that it is a good starting place for creating icons that not only work well together if you are making more than one but also fits perfectly within your design.
Volume Around the Icon:
One of the main things that you have to take care of is how little a gap there is between the actual icon and the square box that you have surrounded it with. If your icon does not carry a volume, first it will not stand out; second, the user will get confused whether clicking the surrounding area will work as the icon does. So while designing an icon, make sure that you icon has a suitable volume so that it covers most part of the surrounding box. It will also give a stable look to the icon.
Avoid Overusing Main Colors:
Although you can use all the main colors you want but the best practice is that you do not overuse the main colors and stick to 2 or 3 only. This looks better because using only a few colors give the finished product a more impressive feel. However, if you feel that you have a masterful grip over your idea and creativity than you can use as many colors as you want and see if the final look can pull off well. As with many colors, using a single color for the whole icon is also an idea that needs a lot of creativity.
An Easygoing Theme:
Either you are designing a website or simply an icon, you have to keep the user in mind that he has a low patience while on the internet so if something is confusing him, he will leave your website. An icon which shows a sign the user is not familiar with or overlapping items indicates that it will confuse the user. Also, select a theme that a user can easily work out with while using your application.
Right to the Smallest Details:
To get that perfect icon, it is obvious that you have to draw the icon neatly and beautifully, taking care of every minute detail. Be particular and keen about every dot, every line, sizing and the proportion. When you reach the final design, ask everyone around you what they see in the icon if you have designed an object like television, computer or disc etc. If it looks the same to everyone, you are good to go, if it doesn’t, work on the shortcomings as it is also included in the idea of smallest details.
Add Borders and Backgrounds for a Feeling of Quality:
There are innumerable kinds of wallpapers that users take up. Your icon should be such that looks clear on every kind of background and to do so, what you can do is add border and/or a background to your icon. This can not only give a maturity to your icon but can also add a feeling of quality in it.
Easily Distinguishable:
It goes without question that the icon should be easily distinguishable. While still on the formation stages, check thoroughly that the icon’s image, object or figure remains distinguishable even when shrunk. An icon which becomes difficult to tell what it is when shrunk is a bad impression. Small icons still exist even though the use of higher resolutions is on a high trend.
Same goes for whether the icon remains distinguishable even when simplified. The process of testing the icon to be perfect in every way also includes that even a shadow, a silhouette or a black n white image gives the same figure. This requires choosing a symbol which is known or is easily comprehensible by everyone. Silhouette icons are often used in software web interfaces and pages so you may as well keep this in mind while designing.
Easily Representable in Words:
Before you take your designed out for people to see, it is always better that you decide how to explain it on words. You will be surprised how amazingly it can work when you are presenting it out to your client and will also help you in its formation process. An icon that can be represented in a few words or a very short phrase rather than a sentence works a lot better in making it easy to understand, easy to remember and for making an impression.
The Impression It Leaves on You:
Lastly, you are the designer; you are the creator of the icon. It is you who has to decide whether your designed icon looks good. You can pull it off in front of your client only when you are confident yourself that you have created something just up to the standard. If you have even a little bit of doubt about the design, it will show, and much exaggerated in the eyes of others. The icon should be such that you want to touch intuitively; it feels more real rather than abstract. People will accept your icon after you are sure that it is perfect yourself.
Final Words:
Whatever features you use in designing your icon, you should keep in mind that the sense of quality will be reflecting in your final product. Designing an icon may seem like a trivial task but it requires no less keenness as designing a whole website. It may be a small sign but it gives a big impression on the user as well as on the app world.
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really interesting to way out how to design icons.