Projects/Usability/HIG/IconDesign: Difference between revisions

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    (→‎Monochrome Icons: Add Uri's monochrome color use guidelines)
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    === Monochrome Icons ===
    === Monochrome Icons ===
    [[File:HIGMonoIcons.png]]
    [[File:HIGMonoIcons.png]]
    * Used for application toolbar and button actions, menus, and status and notifications. Also may be used for small (16x16) devices and places icons (folders, usb drives, etc.).
    * Used for application toolbar and button actions, menus, sidebars and status and notifications. Also may be used for small (16x16) devices and places icons (folders, usb drives, etc.).
    * Rely on a distinct shapes instead of fine details to distinguish between them.
    * Rely on a distinct shapes instead of fine details to distinguish between them.
    * Color can be used for distinction (change of state, destructive actions, etc.).
    * Use primarily color #1 and #2 but also use other colors to indicate a different state
    :# [[File:Icon_Grey.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Grey]]  - Color used for icons in a normal state and non destructive actions e.g.: back, forward, ok, home.
    :#[[File:Icon_Red.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Red]] - Color used for icons in a normal state and for destructive actions e.g.: close, delete, remove, stop. Also used in addition with color #1.
    :#[[File:Icon_Orange.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Orange]] - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve "user input", also used as the color for the "busy" state in IM software.
    :#[[File:Icon_Blue.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Blue]] - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve the action "select" or "insert".
    :#[[File:Icon_Yellow.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Yellow]] - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve a "warning", also used as the color for the "away" state in IM software.
    :#[[File:Icon_Green.png|40x40px]] [[Projects/Usability/HIG/Color|Icon Green]] - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve "connected", "secure" or "successful" actions.


    === Application icons ===
    === Application icons ===

    Revision as of 08:58, 4 October 2014

    Purpose

    Icons are pictorial representations of functions and objects, important not only for aesthetic reasons as part of the visual identity of a program, but also for utilitarian reasons as shorthand for conveying meaning that users perceive almost instantaneously. Well-designed icons improve the visual communication and strongly impact users' overall impression of visual design. Last but not least, icons are space-saving and improve usability by making programs, objects, and actions easier to identify, learn. Icon use should be consistent throughout the interface.

    Guidelines

    • Design icons with a small number of metaphors [1].
      • Apply metaphors only once (e.g. do not use a brush twice for different options).
      • Rethink conventionally used metaphors (e.g. the clipboard icon of paste).
      • Antiquated metaphors might work well (e.g. a floppy is not necessarily outdated to represent save).
      • Adjust the degree of abstractness according to familiarity of the metaphor.
      • Use arrows only if they can easily be related to spatial features such as Previous/Next in a sequence or Up/Down in a hierarchy. Avoid using arrows metaphorically (such as for Reply/Forward or Undo/Redo).
      • Attempt to use metaphors that are independent of language and culture.
      • Make icons simple.
    • If an icon has important details at larger sizes, rather than simply scaling it down, create unique versions of the icon at smaller sizes. Critical details may become unrecognizable when scaled down.
    • Avoid using text in icon designs; it may not scale well to smaller sizes.
    • Icons of a similar type share a consistent visual language (mimetypes, folders, devices, etc.).
    • Follow the guidelines for presenting icons with text
    • Test your icon set on strength of association, discriminatory power, conspicuousness, and, if applicable, on accessibility.

    Monochrome Icons

    • Used for application toolbar and button actions, menus, sidebars and status and notifications. Also may be used for small (16x16) devices and places icons (folders, usb drives, etc.).
    • Rely on a distinct shapes instead of fine details to distinguish between them.
    • Use primarily color #1 and #2 but also use other colors to indicate a different state
    1. Icon Grey - Color used for icons in a normal state and non destructive actions e.g.: back, forward, ok, home.
    2. Icon Red - Color used for icons in a normal state and for destructive actions e.g.: close, delete, remove, stop. Also used in addition with color #1.
    3. Icon Orange - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve "user input", also used as the color for the "busy" state in IM software.
    4. Icon Blue - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve the action "select" or "insert".
    5. Icon Yellow - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve a "warning", also used as the color for the "away" state in IM software.
    6. Icon Green - Color used in addition to color #1. Used to distinguish icons that involve "connected", "secure" or "successful" actions.

    Application icons

    • Unique and easily recognizable.
    • Have the widest variation of color and visual style to represent the visual identity of the application.
    • When creating an system icon theme, respect trademarks by avoiding significant alterations to application icons.

    Implementation

    References

    [1] http://user-prompt.com/semiotics-in-usability-guidelines-for-the-development-of-icon-metaphors/