ICON DESIGN

BEYOND PRETTY LITTLE PICTURES

Icons are frequently the key visual element in a software applications visual identity, and yet they are frequently given little consideration. Icons represent a pictorial language that is used to communicate an application’s actions and functions to a user. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when creating a suite of successful icons. It is essential to represent metaphors and a design style that are appropriate for the intended audience. Rocket has extraordinary experience creating icon visual languages. We use an intellectual approach to designing icons and we create them with aesthetic beauty that enhance usability and promote brand identity.

Effective icon design ensures a software application is easy to learn and efficient to use. The following must be taken into consideration when creating either an individual icon or a suite of icons:

Icons must be:

• Integrated with the visual design style of the overall application
• Visually compelling
• Aesthetically appropriate (see example)
• Represented by metaphors that effectively communicate their intended function or action
• Identifiable both individually and as a group
• Supporting and/or enhancing the product usability
• Easily and quickly understood by their intended audience
• Appropriate for their culture/audience
• Consistent and discernible at multiple sizes
• Consistent in multiple color depths
• Delivered in a format appropriate for integration by engineering

So if you need an icon converted from one format to another or a new icon visual language, you can depend on us for consistent creative brilliance... and a lot of technical know-how.