EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION BY

ICONOGRAPHY

Originally, icons in graphic communications were primarily used for signposting and road signs. Their purpose was to guide, warn, or limit users by synthesizing information into simple, concentrated representations. These visuals depicted jobs, places, abstract concepts, messages, potential dangers, and other elements to help people navigate or reach specific destinations.

In the digital world, icons continue to serve a similar function. They guide users through interfaces, helping them navigate applications or operating systems and locate tools or sections—essentially leading them to their destination. Steve Jobs famously obsessed over creating the perfect icon, balancing aesthetics and functionality to ensure an icon effectively communicates its purpose.

While aesthetics are subjective and often influenced by trends, an icon’s tone, style, and visual cues must resonate with its target audience. Icons should be visually appealing, but above all, they must be clear, with well-defined lines, harmonious colors, and enough contrast to attract attention. For example, designing icons for accounting software requires a different approach than designing for a game. Even within gaming, styles vary significantly depending on the genre (FPS, RPG, puzzles, strategy, etc.) and the intended audience’s age and preferences.

Icons can range from flat, minimalistic designs—popularized by iOS and the “Flat Design” trend—to highly realistic depictions of objects, animals, places, or people. Regardless of style, the design process for icons should be as meticulous as for a logo. Thought and planning are essential to create icons that effectively achieve their purpose.

Icons are typically designed in COLLECTIONS, meaning they must work cohesively as a group. Just as with a Brand Book or Style Guide, consistency across the icon set is crucial. This can be challenging when some concepts are harder to simplify than others, potentially leading to varying levels of complexity. However, the collection must make sense as a whole to ensure usability. Consistency in style, color, and shape across the icons mirrors the approach used in designing website links, buttons, and other elements.

Usability: Designing for Clarity

Designing icons with usability in mind means assuming users are unfamiliar with the application or system. Every application, no matter how intuitive, has a learning curve. Users may be completely new to digital interfaces—such as children or the elderly—or have other limitations. Your call to action through an icon must be as clear as possible.

In many cases, designers use legacy iconography that is ingrained in collective memory. However, some legacy icons have become outdated and obscure to newer generations. For example:

Icons like the diskette (for saving files) and the rotary phone (for calls) may be unrecognizable to younger users who have never encountered these objects. While these icons remain functional due to user familiarity, their original meanings have faded. Users learn what these icons do within a system, often without questioning their origins. For instance, the diskette icon could easily be replaced by a USB drive, but the user learning curve—and resistance to change—keeps the legacy icon in use.

Great icons strike a balance between AESTHETICS and CLEAR FUNCTION. Legacy icons, while outdated, continue to serve their purpose because they were originally designed to meet these criteria. Replacing them risks user confusion, which is why many designers stick with familiar representations, even as the world changes.

The Role of Designers

As designers, our work is to communicate effectively, guiding users to their destinations—just as road signs did decades ago. Icons are tools of navigation, bridging the gap between abstract concepts and user understanding. This requires creativity, consistency, and a deep understanding of usability principles.

P.S. If you ever wonder HOW MUCH to charge for a FREELANCE project like this, check out my “Project Budget Calculator“. It can provide a helpful reference for pricing your work.

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