Why use icons in design

Icons in design are an important element that perform different tasks depending on the location and the author's intention. Here are some of them.

Attract attention. They can be used to highlight important or interesting design elements, encouraging users to take action or explore. For example, icons can hint at new features or offers, or point to interactive elements.
Indicate information. They help the user quickly and easily learn about the topic, function, or category of a design element. For example, a shopping cart icon indicates a place to shop, and a magnifying glass icon indicates a search.

Simplify navigation. They can replace or complement text links or buttons, making the interface more understandable and convenient. For example, icons can show the direction of movement or transition between pages or screens.
Structure the content of a page. They help the user navigate through large amounts of data by highlighting key points and grouping similar elements. For example, icons can separate sections of a website or app, or show progress in a process.
Increase conversion. They can influence user behavior and decisions, increasing their trust, loyalty, and satisfaction. For example, icons can confirm successful completion of an action or provide positive feedback.

Types of icons

It seems that these small pictures are very simple, straightforward and similar to each other. But in fact, there are many types of icons. They can be classified by several criteria, the most important of which are two - the function performed and style. Let's consider the main types of icons with examples.

Types of icons by function

Informational. These are icons that convey some information or message to the user. For example, an asterisk icon may mean that a field is required, and an exclamation mark icon may mean that there is some warning or error.
Navigational. These are icons that help the user navigate through a website or application. For example, a hamburger icon can open a navigation menu, and an arrow icon can return to the previous page or screen.
Interactive. These are icons that trigger some action or function when clicked or hovered over. For example, a shopping cart icon can add an item to a shopping list, and a heart icon can like or add to favorites.
Branded. These are icons that represent a brand, company, or product. They can be part of a logo or a trademark. For example, an apple icon is the symbol of the Apple company.
Illustrative. These are icons that depict an object, scene, or character. They can be detailed or stylized. For example, a house icon can illustrate a section on real estate, and a smiley icon can illustrate a section on mood.
Metaphorical. These are icons that use some kind of metaphor or association to convey meaning or emotion. They can be abstract or symbolic. For example, a light bulb icon might represent an idea or creativity, while a heart icon might represent love or health.
Decorative. These are icons that do not carry any meaning or function, but simply decorate the design or emphasize the style. For example, an advertising banner can be decorated with flower icons, but they are not emphasized, they simply decorate the background.

Icon Types by Style

Flat icons. These are icons like for email icon that do not have volume, shadows, gradients or other effects. They consist of simple geometric shapes and solid colors. They look minimalistic and modern.

Line icons. These are icons that consist only of outlines without fill. They can be single-color or multi-color. They look light and elegant.
3D icons. These are icons that imitate three-dimensional volume using shadows, light, perspective and other effects. They can be realistic or cartoonish. They look dynamic and attractive.

Photorealistic. These are icons that strive to match reality as closely as possible with details, textures, light and shadow. They can be created using photography or 3D modeling. They look realistic and impressionistic.
Hand drawn. These are icons that are created using hand tools such as a pencil, brush or marker. They can be neat or sloppy. They look creative and original.

Minimalistic. These are icons that aim for minimal use of design elements such as shapes, colors, and lines. Such icons used for location icon. They can be flat or linear. They look clean and modern.
Retro icons. These are icons that imitate the style of past eras or cultures. They can use vintage colors, fonts, patterns or shapes. They look nostalgic and eclectic.

Of course, this is far from the entire list of types of these small pictures. For example, they can also be classified by the theme of the pack:

social media;
business;
Internet Marketing;
analytics;
the science;
innovations;
animals;
Appliances;
children's goods, etc.

Icon formats for websites and applications

It is best to draw icons for websites in a vector format, such as SVG. It allows you to resize icons without losing quality, as well as customize their color, shape, and strokes. In addition, vector icons take up less space and load faster than raster ones.

Raster formats such as PNG or JPG are not recommended for website icons, as they lose quality when scaled and do not support transparency. However, if you still want to use raster icons, make sure they are of sufficient resolution and compressed to reduce file size. The only exception is the favicon, the small icon that appears next to the website address in the browser. The ICO format is usually used for favicons, which supports different sizes and color depths in a single file. You can create a favicon from any image using special generators or converters.

Basic Rules for Creating Icons for Web Design

Icons should match the purpose and context of use. Before you start working, clearly define on which resource the icons will be used (what is the theme of the site or application, the color scheme), as well as in which blocks they will be located and for what purpose (for example, in the advantages block to convince the user to contact the company). Based on this, choose the style, mood and color of the icons.
Icons should be simple, readable, and recognizable. Avoid unnecessary details, complex shapes, and ambiguous symbols. Use familiar images that match the theme and function of the icons. To avoid creating images from scratch, you can get inspiration from other designers' work on one of the platforms where they showcase their work, such as Behance or Dribble.
The icons in a set should be consistent and harmonious. Follow the same style, color scheme, line type, and shadows for all icons. For example, if you decide to use a thin dashed line to depict the icon borders, then all the icons in your set should have such borders, i.e. do not add instances with thick solid lines. Also consider the proportions, angles, and indents between icon elements. Use a grid to align and scale icons so that they are symmetrical.

Icons should be responsive and optimized. Check how your icons look on different devices, resolutions, and platforms. Use a vector format (such as SVG), which allows you to resize icons without losing quality. Compress icon files to speed up website loading.
Icons should be informative and functional. Think about what you want to achieve with icons: attract attention, simplify navigation, increase conversion, or something else. Add labels or hints to icons if necessary for understanding.
Test and get feedback. Test your icons on different devices and in different situations to ensure their quality and effectiveness. Ask other people, especially potential users, for their opinion on how they perceive and understand your icons.

5 Lifehacks for Creating Icon Designs

Icon design is a creative process that has its own tricks that help you get the job done faster and better. We'll share some of them below.

Use ready-made resources and tools. Don’t hesitate to use free or paid icon libraries that you can find on the Internet. They can help you find inspiration or save time. Also, use specialized programs or online services for creating and editing icons.
Use grid and guides. The grid will help you align and scale icons, as well as maintain proportions and indents. Guides will help you create symmetrical and geometric shapes. You can set up the grid and guides in your design program or use special plugins or services.
Use copy and reflection. Copy and reflection is an easy way to create symmetrical and complex shapes without much effort. You can copy and reflect parts of icons horizontally or vertically, and combine different shapes to create new ones.
Use shape operations. Shape operations are a feature that allows you to combine, subtract, intersect, or split different shapes to create new ones in graphic editors such as Adobe Illustrator. You can use this feature to create complex or original shapes from simple ones.
Use color palettes and gradients. Color palettes and gradients will help you choose harmonious and trendy colors for your icons, as well as create volume and mood. You can use ready-made color palettes or gradients from libraries or resources, or create your own.