A Symbolic Conversation About Icons in Design

This week we added 600 new Material Design icons to UXPin. But just having resources doesn’t guarantee a great design. In today’s #UXPinChat we talked about the use, benefits, and ethics of using icons in your work.

A1 Do: User profile, settings, search. Don't: the 3-line menu icon (big surprise to me, here) #uxpinchat https://t.co/T6xzQNgEJd

— Steve Amara (@amarast) June 24, 2016

People do not understand the hamburger icon! #uxpinchat https://t.co/GPlAk8mTQ3

— Lindsey Meredith (@lindseymere) June 24, 2016

@uxpin Accessibility icons like Settings, Help, Info are common across web. Users can pretty well understand what they mean. #uxpinchat

— Abhishek Pathak (@abhishekp1996) June 24, 2016

The "Save" icon is universally understood by people, yet I also find it funny that fewer and fewer people know where it came from #UXPinChat

— Indra Sofian (@indysofian) June 24, 2016

1 supposed to be stick Vitruvian Man for "lifeform." The middle legs look like genitals to Korean client #uxpinchat https://t.co/atyACB39Kl

— Tarra Anzalone | UX (@theuxicorn) June 24, 2016

@uxpin life tube icon for Help is also gaining popularity.

— Umajit Mongjam (@UmajitM) June 24, 2016

I haven't. But I don't see any reason not to. Pay the designer! #uxpinchat https://t.co/ipUPQ9ST7L

— Ryan Thomas Riddle (@ryantriddle) June 24, 2016

I'm moving to paying for memberships like @nounproject or other Kickstarter foundries for completeness. #uxpinchat https://t.co/va7mDueHVa

— Tarra Anzalone | UX (@theuxicorn) June 24, 2016

A2 I'll definitely pay for a large set of nice icons. Art is to be appreciated #UXPinChat

— Indra Sofian (@indysofian) June 24, 2016

A2) @uxpin We pay for UXPin, who I assume pays for professional icons! "Anything worth having is worth paying for." #UXPinChat

— Michael Gremillion (@IselianGaming) June 24, 2016

@loomie_ux it was so weird – as a western art history buff, I knew exactly what it was! Not clear in eastern art culture! #uxpinchat

— Tarra Anzalone | UX (@theuxicorn) June 24, 2016

@RamsesCabello profile = head & chest. Settings = gear. Search = Loop. But here, we realise users don’t get the menu icon cc @uxpin

— Steve Amara (@amarast) June 24, 2016

A2 Not done it yet, but I would if I have to. Great work has to be rewarded #uxpinchat https://t.co/KMbnZbLIVQ

— Steve Amara (@amarast) June 24, 2016

A2. I would if I had to. Especially if they come from @Iconfactory :) https://t.co/u7zWpClOer

— Loomie (@loomie_ux) June 24, 2016

Icons bring your designs to life. When used correctly, they have the potential to be more powerful and expressive than words. #UXPinChat

— Indra Sofian (@indysofian) June 24, 2016

A3 Only if they’re universally understood or offer tooltips. Icons b/c they look nifty is bad #UI. #UXPinChat

— Benjamin Gremillion (@ux_benjamin) June 24, 2016

What he said is my answer to Q3. #uxpinchat https://t.co/OgxMxRfU5Y

— Ryan Thomas Riddle (@ryantriddle) June 24, 2016

Yes in the age of emojis & icons, many visual queues are post text – I would argue this benefits UX #uxpinchat https://t.co/reM5kBupCq

— Lindsey Meredith (@lindseymere) June 24, 2016

What he said about what he said #uxpinchat https://t.co/kfTAzPH72w

— Lindsey Meredith (@lindseymere) June 24, 2016

@uxpin #uxpinchat A3. Visual clues guide better than text, but not to the extent that it destroys UX when icons don't load up.

— Abhishek Pathak (@abhishekp1996) June 24, 2016

@uxpin Possibly, but if they are more obscure, like not the typical save disk, edit pencil, cancel x, they often test poorly. #ABtest

— Dave Debus | UX & UI (@davedebusdesign) June 24, 2016

They "save space" if adding usability & testing well. Do they promote recognition ✔️or require recall ✖️? #uxpinchat https://t.co/40N08XmnEi

— Tarra Anzalone | UX (@theuxicorn) June 24, 2016

A3. It makes sense for millennials. Baby boomers may have some trouble understanding the message that it conveys https://t.co/VmocuNtf7i

— Loomie (@loomie_ux) June 24, 2016

@uxpin A3 In some cases, we can like info (i). It's better to have text with visual cues #UXPinChat

— Umajit Mongjam (@UmajitM) June 24, 2016

A3) @uxpin Depends on res space, visual noise. Icons help it stay clean. Absolute must for mobile design. But words are explicit. #UXPinChat

— Michael Gremillion (@IselianGaming) June 24, 2016

Depends on brand aesthetic, but I see marriage of digital and handmade with offset printing quality #uxpinchat https://t.co/s1rYnIcki8

— Tarra Anzalone | UX (@theuxicorn) June 24, 2016

A4 Brighter colors, and probably a return to thicker shapes. #UXPinChat

— Benjamin Gremillion (@ux_benjamin) June 24, 2016

@uxpin #uxpinchat A4. Minimalist designs are never going out. Cards view trend is picking up quite fast.

— Abhishek Pathak (@abhishekp1996) June 24, 2016

Gradients and skeuomorphism. ;) #uxpinchat https://t.co/yhLvaj5IjA

— Ryan Thomas Riddle (@ryantriddle) June 24, 2016

A4 Ditching the gradients. Minimalist designs, fewer but brighter colours #uxpinchat https://t.co/PEWRO30uWN

— Steve Amara (@amarast) June 24, 2016

Gradients are the #design equivalent to chunky highlights and bell bottoms… :P #uxpinchat #ux #designtrends pic.twitter.com/Uh5s967VK5

— Lindsey Meredith (@lindseymere) June 24, 2016

@lindseymere @uxpin it depends on how you use them. They are not necessarily bad. #uxpinchat

— Nene Odonkor (@neneodonkor) June 24, 2016

A4. I'm a Equal opportunity designer. I love it all! #uxpinchat

— Loomie (@loomie_ux) June 24, 2016

@uxpin Minimalist designs will continue to grow #uxpinchat

— Umajit Mongjam (@UmajitM) June 24, 2016

@lindseymere GIF NAILED! Send this to Instagram and ask them to remove the gradient from their new awesome logo. Please