Icons - the powerful visual tools
Icons - the powerful visual tools
What is an Icon?
Icons are a simple form of visual representation that help put any written content in a nutshell. A human brain consumes visual information much faster than any written content. Icons are designed to communicate, guide and inform users.
“A Picture speaks
a thousand words”
Illustration by Lodovico Marchesini for Hike One.
The journey of Icons starts from over 40,000 years back before any written language was developed or practiced. Humans used to communicate using symbols and pictures. Icons play a similar role in grabbing attention in a page full of written content and help the reader understand in no time. Visual content builds more audience and increases the readability of your content.
"A Picture speaks a thousand words"
The journey of Icons starts from over 40,000 years back before any written language was developed or practiced. Humans used to communicate using symbols and pictures. Icons play a similar role in grabbing attention in a page full of written content and help the reader understand in no time. Visual content builds more audience and increases the readability of your content.
How do Icons make our lives easy?
01
Icons on Digital Products
The interface on your smart devices is a place where one can find a number of icons. With the developing technology, icons help in faster communication. As your smartphone battery is low, your phone alerts you with a red battery icon which reminds you to charge your phone and get your work done. Icon with supporting text on your smart devices comes in handy to search for the required information. On your smart devices, scrolling and reading through textual options or settings can consume more time than going through the icons next to it and making the work faster. They grab your attention and make you understand in less time.
01
Icons on Digital Products
The interface on your smart devices is a place where one can find a number of icons. With the developing technology, icons help in faster communication. As your smartphone battery is low, your phone alerts you with a red battery icon which reminds you to charge your phone and get your work done. Icon with supporting text on your smart devices comes in handy to search for the required information. On your smart devices, scrolling and reading through textual options or settings can consume more time than going through the icons next to it and making the work faster. They grab your attention and make you understand in less time.
02
Icons on Tangible Products
Icons increase the usability of the product and keep the user engaged into using it. The icons on your car keys are simple graphical representation of the feature and easily understood by any user. The icons meaning remains same with different brand style and aesthetics. A washing machine interface with icons and written instructions is better and faster to understand compared to only written instructions. A quick learning of the features is necessary in this scenario. Having features in the form of graphic icons creates less clutter and helps in quick identification to a human eye.
02
Icons on Tangible Products
Icons increase the usability of the product and keep the user engaged into using it. The icons on your car keys are simple graphical representation of the feature and easily understood by any user. The icons meaning remains same with different brand style and aesthetics. A washing machine interface with icons and written instructions is better and faster to understand compared to only written instructions. A quick learning of the features is necessary in this scenario. Having features in the form of graphic icons creates less clutter and helps in quick identification to a human eye.
03
Icons on Packaging
The most common Icon you come across is the veg or non veg food icon on your everyday food packets, a simple color specific icon conveys the information to the user without any supporting text. The icons on a courier package convey the safety instructions with just graphics regardless of any language constraints.
03
Icons on Packaging
The most common Icon you come across is the veg or non veg food icon on your everyday food packets, a simple color specific icon conveys the information to the user without any supporting text. The icons on a courier package convey the safety instructions with just graphics regardless of any language constraints.
04
Icons of Road Safety
One of the most essential icon usage in real life are Road signs as icons. They give information for routes, directions, and warnings for people who are driving as well as pedestrians. Road signs are the first set of icons one starts following in real life as it helps navigate them on roads. These icons convey the required information with just graphical images with a supporting text wherever necessary.
04
Icons of Road Safety
One of the most essential icon usage in real life are Road signs as icons. They give information for routes, directions, and warnings for people who are driving as well as pedestrians. Road signs are the first set of icons one starts following in real life as it helps navigate them on roads. These icons convey the required information with just graphical images with a supporting text wherever necessary.
05
Icons for Navigation
Icons can also be used as a unique element to navigate someone. It becomes easy to understand these icons and follow the information provided. Wayfinding icons are a great help to tourists who are not familiar with the native language of that particular place. The icons could be located quickly and help them find their way. Some common examples of such icons are the male and female restroom signs, the elevator icons or the fire exit icons.
05
Icons for Navigation
Icons can also be used as a unique element to navigate someone. It becomes easy to understand these icons and follow the information provided. Wayfinding icons are a great help to tourists who are not familiar with the native language of that particular place. The icons could be located quickly and help them find their way. Some common examples of such icons are the male and female restroom signs, the elevator icons or the fire exit icons.
Overview
Icons drive us towards an easier life but making an icon is a difficult process because it is important to comprehend the same exact meaning with a simple figure. The appropriate use of context and purpose of the icon needs to be clear to the user. If the user questions the use of an icon in any scenario, then the purpose of the icon is not served which fails in conveying the meaning of the content.
Along with that, with the improving digital world, the design aspect of an icon is gaining attention and importance from simple line icons to creating a style of icons for each brand keeping the essence and the meaning of the icon the same.
Overview
Icons drive us towards an easier life but making an icon is a difficult process because it is important to comprehend the same exact meaning with a simple figure. The appropriate use of context and purpose of the icon needs to be clear to the user. If the user questions the use of an icon in any scenario, then the purpose of the icon is not served which fails in conveying the meaning of the content.
Along with that, with the improving digital world, the design aspect of an icon is gaining attention and importance from simple line icons to creating a style of icons for each brand keeping the essence and the meaning of the icon the same.