{"id":12279,"date":"2025-07-11T11:33:33","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T10:33:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=12279"},"modified":"2025-10-24T12:54:18","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T11:54:18","slug":"iconography-in-ui-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/iconography-in-ui-design\/","title":{"rendered":"The importance of iconography in UI design"},"content":{"rendered":"

Icons are everywhere, including on whatever screen you\u2019re currently reading this blog post on, and UI designers\u2019 ability to create and use them is one of their most important tools. In fact, iconography is so important, we\u2019ve created a whole article about it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This guide will teach you the key principles and best practices of effective iconography and some of the pitfalls you\u2019ll want to avoid. But first, let\u2019s look at what iconography is and its importance in UI design.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

What is iconography in UI design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Iconography in user interface (UI) design refers to small visuals crafted to communicate certain functions or features of a website, app, or other product. Instead of spelling out what they mean, these icons say it at a glance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Take Netflix\u2019s interface, for example. On the website and app, the homepage has a magnifying glass icon at the top right that you can click to open a search box to find anything you want. There\u2019s also a ringer symbol that lists any notifications you might have received.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Netflix<\/p>\n

Source: <\/span>Netflix.com<\/span><\/a> landing page<\/span><\/p>\n

Then, at the bottom, there are individual shows listed. The one in the middle of the row above, <\/span>Interview with the Vampire<\/span><\/i>, has been rolled over, bringing up several icons, including a play button, a + sign that users can click to add the show to their list, and a thumbs-up button to rate it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Across from these is a symbol that, in this case, means expand, which leads to a bigger screen focused on <\/span>Interview with the Vampire<\/span><\/i>, as seen below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Netflix<\/p>\n

Source: <\/span>Netflix.com<\/span><\/a> overlay<\/span><\/p>\n

This overlay features the same icons as the smaller one, but the play button is now bigger and says play and the episodes are listed below the rest of the information. Plus, there\u2019s a volume icon across from the other icons that lets you control the volume.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Though there are a lot of icons, you can grasp them quickly because you either know what they do, as with the play button, or can see what they do by the tool tips that appear for more obscure icons, like the plus button. And though those tool tips appear regularly, if you use them frequently, you don\u2019t have to see them more than once to understand what those icons do if clicked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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[GET CERTIFIED IN UI DESIGN]<\/p>\n Take our Professional Certificate in UI Design course<\/span>\n <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n

The importance of iconography in UI: why icons matter<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Iconography contributes to effective, user-friendly, and enjoyable digital experiences. These are some of the reasons icons matter:<\/span><\/p>\n

Icons can enhance usability and navigation<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Incorporating universally recognised icons can serve as a visual way to help users identify certain functions and features of a product without the need to explain the functionality with words.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, using a shopping cart symbol as the Crate & Barrel website does, intuitively explains that clicking on that icon will bring you to the user\u2019s shopping cart. Likewise, the heart and marker icons also convey that clicking on those icons will lead you to what you\u2019ve liked and where you can find a store, respectively.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Crate<\/p>\n

Source: <\/span>Crate & Barrel <\/span><\/a>home page<\/span><\/p>\n

Icons support visual hierarchy<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons can enhance visual hierarchy by providing easily recognizable cues that highlight important information and help users understand what they can do more efficiently.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For example, on the Instagram app there are several icons you can use on each reel or image you encounter \u2014 a heart shaped symbol for liking the reel or image, a commenting icon if you want to contribute your comments, and a plane icon if you want to share the video or image, but none of these takes away from the video or image, which dominates the screen.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Close-up<\/p>\n

Source: Instagram<\/span><\/a> app home page<\/span><\/p>\n

Icons play a role in accessibility and inclusivity\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons can play an important role in accessibility and inclusivity because, for some people with visual or cognitive impairments, there\u2019s no better way to understand something than through an icon. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) \u2014 which covers a wide range of digital services, including those that do business with the EU \u2014 is about to go into effect. The best way for designers to adhere to the EAA is to use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to ensure that icons are perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. This can happen with icons by making sure they avoid unnecessary complexity, have distinct shapes, and provide alternative labels when necessary. To learn more about accessibility and inclusivity, you can take the UX Design Institute\u2019s <\/span>Professional Certificate in Designing for Accessibility<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Icons can help establish brand identity\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons are important for brand identity. After all, if you have a recognisable icon to identify your brand, you\u2019ve got the ability to use the icon without your name. These icons can even evoke emotional reactions as icons for brands evoke emotions of all kinds.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

For instance, the Target logo, which is a red bull\u2019s eye, is so recognisable that it\u2019s used instead of Target\u2019s name at the top of the Target website.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Target

Source: Target.com<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

The key principles of effective iconography<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To communicate well through icons, the key principles of effective iconography for UI designers are:<\/span><\/p>\n

Clarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

This is one of the most important principles of icon design because icons need to quickly communicate what they mean. So a well-designed icon needs to be able to communicate its message with understandable metaphors, such as a play button to play a video.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Readability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons tend to be small, especially on a phone screen, but they have to be readable everywhere. So make it as easy to understand as possible. Don\u2019t include too much detail. Instead, include bold shapes that are easily readable at small sizes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Simplicity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Simplicity is closely related to readability. You should keep things as simple and succinct as possible when designing icons to make sure that users can understand them right away.<\/span><\/p>\n

Scalability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons should have an impact no matter how big or small they\u2019re presented. You should be able to make your icons scalable to any size and your audience should still understand them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Consistency<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Entire icon families should exist in harmony by adhering to the same stylistic rules. All icons should be the same width and height, have similar stroke thickness, and use consistent colours and fills.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Personality<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons should be unique and clever about conveying brand identity; this is the icon\u2019s personality. They should be able to be playful, professional, or whatever your brand conveys while still being clear and readable.<\/span><\/p>\n

Contextual and cultural relevance<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Be aware of your audience and their cultural context. Make sure your designs are understandable to a majority of your audience and that you avoid symbols based on references that are no longer in use.<\/span><\/p>\n

For a more detailed guide on icons, check out <\/span>7 principles of icon design all UI designers should follow<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Common iconography pitfalls (and how to avoid them)<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Despite UI designers\u2019 best efforts, sometimes iconography goes wrong. Here are some common problems and solutions to avoid them.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ambiguity or unfamiliarity<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The problem here comes from icons that use unclear or ambiguous symbols, causing them to confuse and frustrate users. To avoid this pitfall, make sure you\u2019ve researched your audience and have picked out icons that are recognisable to your users. And make sure that they are represented in a clear and concise way.<\/span><\/p>\n

Inconsistent Design<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icon systems that don\u2019t follow a set of design rules will no doubt be visually jarring. To avoid this pitfall, make sure to apply size, colour, and other rules to all icons used in your product.<\/span><\/p>\n

Excessive detail<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Excessive detail often makes icons difficult to quickly understand. To avoid this pitfall, make sure to keep icons simple and concise. Icons should represent the essential elements of the concepts they represent. Too much detail, like shadows and gradients, or unnecessary elements, and they become cluttered.<\/span><\/p>\n

Poor scalability<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Icons that don\u2019t work at different sizes can be a problem. To avoid this pitfall, make sure that your icons work at different sizes when designing them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Iconography best practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n

To ensure you keep your icons effective and avoid pitfalls, follow these best practices:<\/span><\/p>\n

Use a grid<\/strong><\/h3>\n

To ensure that icon families are in harmony with one another, use a grid system to keep icons aligned and balanced.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Use icons to save space<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Users should be able to understand icons at small sizes, keeping the space they use to convey their information small too. This makes icons a lifesaver because you don\u2019t have to spell out everything on your product. But also make sure that they are accessible, with fat-finger friendly sizes of 44 pixels or above.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conduct user research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

UI designers should perform user research and follow the brand\u2019s guidelines to ensure that their icons match the brand\u2019s personality. If you\u2019re designing icons for a medical practice, for example, you should have dignified colours and visual balance. Your research should tell you what users expect.<\/span><\/p>\n

Use labels with icons, as needed<\/strong><\/h3>\n

While some icons can work without labels, for some, it helps to include a label right beside it or a tooltip when your cursor rolls over it. Don\u2019t be afraid to add these labels for clarity. Labels should be on the right or underneath an icon and there should be enough space so both the icon and label can be seen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Key takeaways and further reading\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n