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Easy Steps to Make Your Icon Design Better

Posted on by Mario

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In design world, small things can provide big differences to the whole design and value of the icon set. In the following article, we will give some steps that every web designers can follow to improve their icons.

Always Start with a Grid

The benefits of various grid sizes would best be handled in a separate article. For our purposes, we’ll work with a 32 x 32 pixel grid. Our grid also contains some basic guides to help us create the underlying form of each icon design. Part of the form of an icon is the general shape and orientation. You can choose a square circle, triangle, horizontal rectangle, vertical rectangle or diagonal rectangle when you want to draw a line around the outside edges of an icon. The outer 2 pixels of the grid are what we call the “no-go zone.” So, avoid putting any part of the icon in this space unless absolutely necessary. With no go zone icon, an icon can have a breathing room around.

Bear in mind that grid is there to help you make the icons consistent. But, you can unfollow the rules whenever you want.

Simple Geometric Shapes

Begin your icon designs by roughly outlining the major shapes with simple circles, rectangles and triangles. Start with the shape tools in Adobe Illustrator, although icon is going to end up being most organic in nature. The slight variations in edges that result from hand drawing will make an icon look less refined. However, this causes smaller sizes icons on screen. To make the edges look more precise and, you can start with basic geometric shapes. Moreover, this allows you to adjust the relative scale of elements within a design quickly. On the other hand, it also ensures you still follow the grid and form.

Use Consistent Design Elements and Accents Across Icons

Using consistent kind of accent across an icon set can really tie the set together. In the example below, the designers employed a common stylistic element with the heart-shaped nose. The heart nose, not only ties the icons together, but it also adds a whimsical element. Furthermore, it also communicates affection for our four-legged friends.

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Use Details and Decorations Sparingly

Good Icons should be able to communicate an object, idea or action quickly. In fact, you need to avoid making complex icons with so many small details. This will make the icon or set of icons is also an important aspect of aesthetic unity and recognizability. To determine the right level of detail in an icon or set is to include the bare minimum of details. It is needed to make the meaning clear.

Make it Unique

There are number of talented designers, so how can you stand among all of those crowds? The answer is by being creative. Only by producing creative result, one can survive in this creative industry. As creative professionals, we should be looking outside of the icon industry. For example, to architecture, typography, industrial design, psychology, nature and any other area in which we can find inspiration.

The 5 Unwritten Rules of Design

Posted on by Mario

The 5 Unwritten Rules of Design

There are many things in design world, but there are more rules that are unwritten but as a designer you should know it since this rules will turn you from a good designer into the great one. So, whatever your major design is whether it is web designer, graphic designer and etc. you should follow some rules below.

  1. Client is a King

Like the old saying, customer is always a king. This proverb should always be remembered by heart whenever you interact with your client. There are two ways to serve your client very well; first you need to know what your client really wants through having a deeper and understandable brief. Second, you also need to remember that the client is always right, even when they are wrong.

Like or hate it, your client is the one who truly knows their business better than anyone else. Moreover, the user is the final judge of whether your design is successful, so accept their suggestion can be the best way to get what your client really wants.

  1. Get Paid Up Front

Even though the client is always right, but getting paid is your right. In fact, it is okay to ask for getting paid up front and taking a percentage as down-payment on larger jobs since it shows that your client is serious about making a commitment.

  1. Pen and Paper First

Today, we live in digital world, where gadget has replaced most of our traditional ways in designing, but nothing is more intuitive rather than a fist full of pens and some paper. Drawing sketch in a paper will avoid you into thinking which typeface to choose and how big your column needs to be. In fact, many designers agree that computers can sometimes be limiting rather than liberating.

  1. Test Your Designs Across Media

Testing pages on multiple platforms is one of the important rituals that every designer should do. According to Adrien Raphoz, senior creative at FCBInferno, “If your logo design does not work in black and white on a 2×2 cm format, it is not a legible design..”.  Therefore, always remember to look at them on paper, web, and also mobile.

  1. It’s OK to Start Again

Sometimes, in the process of designing, we will get stuck in exploring the ideas and the best way to get out of it is to move on the idea. Besides, as it is stated by Chris Clarke, chief creative officer at marketing agency DigitasLBi that there was never enough time to do something, but always enough time to do it again.