Part 2 of the wholly incomplete visual guide on how to use icons on things

In which the visual guide becomes increasingly less wholly incomplete.

Last week, I wrote a wholly incomplete visual guide on how to use icons on things. Today, I hope to make that list slightly less incomplete. Or more complete. Or whatever.

Batman uses icons to describe his actions after Robin makes one of his signature puns. Meta. (Here’s some more info on this meme.)

In the first installment, I gave examples of icons in interfaces, on marketing thangs, in mobile apps and websites, as tattoos, on signage, on maps, on James Bond posters, as labels, and in your imagination. In this next installment, I’ll give examples of icons on other stuff. So, strap in, hold onto your boots, and get ready for some more ICONS IN ACTION™

11. Powerpoint and Keynote Presentations

Whether you are creating slides to impress your clients, bore your co-workers, or simply pitch the next gazillion dollar startup, icons can bring a simple sense of clarity to your presentation decks.

This guy is killing it. Also, check out the lady with the white shirt in the front row. She’s totally flipping us off. And the guy next to her is reading something off of his hand. This photo has SO MANY LEVELS.

12. Infographics

Icons provide a visual shorthand for when you need to represent information graphically. And there is no better way to represent information graphically than with infographics.

Wonderful infographics by Kiss Me I’m Polish for the Atlantic.

How to Score a Seat in First Class by Sergio Peçanha.

13. Baby Announcements

If you’re anything like my wife and me, then you announced your pregnancy to your family using icons.

I’m 100% serious. We actually did. We walked into the room, and gave them a box full of puzzle pieces. They put the puzzle together to reveal an icon of an oven… containing an icon of a bun. A bun in the oven. Get it?

An artist’s recreation of the puzzle we presented to our family.

14. Packaging & Boxes

Wait. Which side is up? Is this recyclable? Is it fragile? Does it include an umbrella? No cardboard box would be complete without a healthy dose of iconography.

This is a computer rendering of a pile of boxes. You can tell because there are no tire tracks, mud stains, or detritus covering them. Also, that tape is waaaay to uniform.

15. Unicode Emoji Calendars

If you happen to be make a unicode emoji calendar, then you’ll definitely find a use for icons. Hey, one already exists! Check this one out by Josh Williams.

My birthday is somewhere between the heart and the dog. Photo and design credit Josh Williams.

16. Comics Told from the Perspective of a (Pizza) Dog

Possibly my all-time favorite issue of a comic ever, this tale of Hawkeye is told entirely from the perspective of a dog and uses icons to represent his sense of smell, his progress through the building, and more. It’s simply fantastic. So, you know, if you’re making comics, you can… and should… use icons.

This issue includes heavy icon usage — the best kind of icon usage, IMHO. By Matt Fraction, David Aja, Matt Hollingsworth, and Chris Eliopoulos.

17. Menus

Icons are a great addition to restaurant menus, allowing quick scanning of categories and ingredients.

And listen. I need to be honest. I was searching for examples of icon-based menus and stumbled across this photo… and it just… it just looked so good.

This looks delicious. Photo by Tim Wright on Unsplash.

Oh, here’s an example of some icons on a menu. You can tell this is a fake example from a stock photo site. I mean… look at those prices. Wow.

18. Video Games

Sure, video games don’t need to use icons, but they’re certainly more fun when they do.

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild uses icons all over the place. In maps, on inventory screens, and even to show which buttons to press and when.

19. Memes

While memes are traditionally image-based, there is the occasional need to include icons. Like in my version of the Batman/Robin meme, which I’m including again here because I find it really funny.

I’m stupidly proud of this. Bat slap bird. I mean… come on!

20. Icon Sets

If you’re making icon sets, then you’ll definitely need to use icons. And if you’re writing a Medium post about icons, it would be foolish to not mention that you have some icon sets of your own for sale. In fact, there’s a Kickstarter campaign running until August 22 for a beautiful new set called Symbolicons Pro. Check it out here.