Considerations To Keep In Mind When Choosing Icons For Your Website
A website requires a series of resources such as images, texts, buttons, and other interactive elements. Even the smallest element is important and counts in the design of a web interface, so you must be really careful when selecting or creating any of these elements.
One of these minimal elements that are perhaps overlooked by some designers is the icon. Since they are a small element that serves as a support for the texts, it is possible that icons are chosen at random or simply the first ones that are seen in an online market or bookshop are chosen. However, support elements must be consistent with the design and designers must be careful with them.
Since every project will not have the time and budget to create icons, you must use online markets to choose an appropriate icon package for your site. Icons have become a fundamental factor in web design. Responsive design and adaptation to different flexible screens allow us to generate a restructuring of its elements without losing the ability to communicate what is needed.
When an icon is well designed, it can replace text labels and save space for mobile visualization.
However, other icons are used with an aesthetic sense without being aimed at improving usability. Similarly, it is important not to fragment the consistency of the site by generating different iconographic families. In this article, we mention the main considerations that you must take into account to select appropriate icons for the interface of your website.
The meaning of the icon
Icons are visual elements that convey a message and are often used to strengthen it. A common example is when they are used to highlight the characteristics of a certain product or service on a web page. Although there is textual information, it is easier for the user to process and understand the characteristics of the service when viewing the images and reading the text. They are also often used in applications to indicate some action to be taken, even though they are often accompanied by text.
Although in many cases, they are used in conjunction with a text, you must make sure that the icon really reflects and strengthens the message. For example, if you want to emphasize that the service is faster than usual, you can place the image of a stopwatch. If you want the user to scroll down after seeing your hero image or video, then placing a directional arrow and animating it will be enough to make the user understand that they can continue browsing.
The style of the icon
Selecting icons can be complicated because you should not only consider the meaning each of them has, but you should also analyze the style and verify if it is appropriate for the design of your site.
Each icon belonging to a package or a designer has a particular style. In some, they can be linear or alternate between thick and thin lines, have rounded edges, work based on negative spaces, etc. There are a series of techniques to perform synthesis and work icons from scratch and each designer has his preferred technique and style.
These features may seem minimal but you should consider them to select the most appropriate style for your site. If geometric figures such as squares and rectangles with rounded edges are used in the design of the website or a round font with oval or circular eyes is used, then it may be more appropriate to choose icons that are also rounded. It is a minimal peculiarity, but you can really manage to unify the design of your website and app developed by app development companies.
The number of details
The icons are simple and usually of a single color. In some cases, you can choose icons that have a more illustrated design because they have more colors, outside lines, parallel shadows, etc. These icons are still a synthesis of common elements but ultimately have more details.
The most effective icons are those whose all the details have been removed, such as the symbols that are used in the traffic signs that are placed on the roads. However, it is possible that another type of design is more suited to the style and design of your site. So it makes more sense to choose icons with another type of design. However, you should consider that some of these icons could present various problems on mobile devices. Make sure you perform the necessary tests and verify the minimum size at which the icons can be displayed without losing the details.
The coherence of the icon set
It is unlikely that you will use a single icon on your entire interface, so in most cases, you will be looking for several icons to use. Once you have considered the style of your page to choose an appropriate icon design, you must make sure to choose an icon pack that contains everything you need. And it is necessary that you choose a package of icons because the same design is used in each one of them.
One of the main characteristics that your site must have is consistency so that the site looks like a unit. The icons are those small elements that have the capacity to reinforce the coherence that your site possesses.
Conclusion
Choosing icons can be a process that takes time. There are many factors that you must take into account to find the appropriate icon style. Also, you must ensure that all the icons you need for your site are in the package you have selected, otherwise you must choose another set of icons containing all the necessary elements to avoid inconsistencies in the design of your site. App development companies should consider the use of suitable icons when designing mobile apps. When a designer takes into account the necessary considerations, is prepared to investigate and follows the design process, the results are rewarding for the end user.
Author Bio:
Melissa Crooks is Content Writer who writes for Hyperlink InfoSystem, a mobile app development company in New York, USA and India that holds the best team of skilled and expert app developers. She is a versatile tech writer and loves exploring the latest technology trends, entrepreneur and startup column.
