Creating a Cohesive Icon Set: Key Elements for Consistency in Vector Icons

Icons are powerful design elements that enhance user interfaces, making them intuitive and visually appealing. Whether you're building a website, mobile app, or software interface, the consistency of your icon set plays a crucial role in the overall user experience. A cohesive icon set ensures that your design feels harmonious, intuitive, and professional. In this post we take a closer look at the key elements that make up a successful cohesives icon set and consistency through different designs. 

Why Consistency Matters in Icon Design 

There are several reasons for consistency in icon design: 

Better User Experience (UX): Consistency in style will make icons more distinguishable and recognizable, improving navigation and overall experience. 

Brand Identity:  Icons are part of your visual language. The consistency in the design reinforces your brand identity and makes it more accessible to the users. 

Visual Harmony:  A good set of icons will ensure that all UI or UX design elements fit together well to create a fluid and pleasant interaction. 

Whether you are designing your own custom icons or curating a set from a library, consistency should always be a top priority. Let's explore the key elements that contribute to a cohesive icon set. 

1. Establish a Unified Visual Style 

The most essential step in setting up an icon is defining a clear and unified visual style. This helps lay the foundation for every icon, making them appear as if they belong together. 

Select Icon Style: Flat vs. Outline vs. Filled 

Flat Icons: The icons are simple and clean with minimal shading or gradients. This style is ideal for modern UI design and works well on a number of platforms. 

Outline Icons:  Icon is characterized by thin lines, offering a minimalistic yet sophisticated look. These are often used for a more refined, subtle appearance. 

Filled Icons:  They contain filled shapes. You use these mostly for emphasis and clarity whenever you want the icons to pop. 

Make sure you are selecting the appropriate style because mixing and matching different styles let's say, for example, using a mix of flat icons with outline icons-will create visual dissonance. 

 Determine Icon Shape and Proportions 

Consistency in icon shape is also necessary. When creating square icons, ensure all your icons maintain the same type of geometric pattern. The proportion should also be maintained. For example, either use rounded corners, sharp corners, or round shapes for the whole set of icons. 

Consistency in Line Thickness 

Line weight will also be a determining factor in the overall feel of this icon set. Use thin lines or thick lines but keep your line weight consistent for all the icons in the set. Using different line weights for icons within the same set can make them feel really disjointed. 

2. Limited Color Palette 

Color is one of the key components in the icon design process. A well-crafted color scheme will create unity in your designs. While creating your icon set, use only simple and harmonious colors. Avoid using a big color palette to keep consistency at its best while reducing visual mess. 

Primary Colors Only 

When creating an icon set, the best approach is to choose a small set of primary colors. For example, using one or two base colors across all icons will make them feel unifed and easy to recognize. 

Example Color Palette: 

Base Color:  A primary brand color, such as #FF5733 or a bright orange that gives a modern feel. 

Accent Colors:  A few complementary colors (e.g., gray for outlines and background elements). 

Consider Accessibility 

When selecting your color palette, make sure that the colors are accessible to all users, including those with color blindness.  

3. Keep Iconography Consistent 

Iconography refers to the use of symbols or images to represent concepts or actions. Consistent iconography helps users intuitively know what an icon represents. This will generally enhance the user experience. 

Use Familiar and Intuitive Symbols 

In creating your icon set, focus on those symbols which are familiar and intuitive to your users. An example is a magnifying glass is easily understood to represent "search." Another is a trash can icon is widely used for "delete." Universally known symbols ensure that your icons are intuitive, even to a new user. 

Consistent Symbol Size and Spacing 

Consistency in symbol size and spacing between different elements of your icons is critical. Make sure that the icons within the set have consistent padding around them, as well as similar alignment for the main graphic elements. 

4. Stick to a Defined Grid System 

A grid system is essential in maintaining the structure and consistency of icon designs. Whether designing a single icon or an entire set, it helps ensure all the elements are aligned and proportionally correct. A grid is used to maintain visual balance and to keep spacing, positioning, and proportions uniform. 

Choosing the Right Grid Size 

A typical grid size for vector icon design is 24x24, 32x32, or 64x64 pixels. This size allows enough space for detail while ensuring that the icons are scalable and clear at various sizes. When scaling down for smaller displays, a grid system ensures that your icons retain their clarity and visual consistency. 

Consistency in Spacing 

Consistent spacing must be provided between and around the icons. Set a defined margin or padding on each icon to avoid crowded appearances. This can make icons visually appealing, allowing them to appear ordered and clear in distinguishing themselves from each other. 

5. Scalable and Versatile Icons 

A cohesive icon set needs to be versatile and scalable for different contexts, from desktop screens to mobile devices. Ensuring that your icons are optimized for scalability is crucial, especially for responsive design. 

Design for Multiple Sizes 

They should be scalable to look crisp and clear at any resolution or size. When creating your set, ensure that icons work well in both large and small sizes. For smaller screen resolutions, simplify icons so they still remain legible without losing their essence. 

Use Vector Format (SVG) 

Vector icons should be stored in SVG format for flexibility and scalability. SVG files are resolution-independent; that is, they can be scaled to any size without loss of quality. Additionally, SVG makes it easier to change the color, size, and animation of icons. 

6. Optimize for Web and Mobile Use 

Icons are an integral part of modern web and mobile design. Optimizing your icon set for both platforms ensures consistency and smooth performance. 

Test Icons Across Devices 

Once your icon set is designed, test it across various devices and screen sizes. Icons should be legible and effective on both large desktop monitors and smaller mobile screens. This ensures your set is truly versatile and adaptable to different platforms. 

7. Create Icon Variants for Different States 

In many user interfaces, icons are interactive and need to represent different states, such as hover, active, or disabled. Consistency in these variants ensures that users can easily distinguish between states and understand the action associated with each icon. 

Design Hover and Active States 

Make sure this happens when hovering or clicking on the icon, that the alterations are minimal, and that they are uniform throughout all the icons. This could be a color change, an outline, or even a slight animation. 

Ensure Clarity for Disabled States 

The disabled icons should be distinguishable from the active ones. This can be done by lowering the opacity or changing the color to something that signals inactivity but still fits into the overall design. 

Conclusion 

Crafting an icon set that fits into the entire design of web and mobile applications is one of the major aspects of designing. Focusing on key areas such as visual style, color palette, coherent iconography, grid structure, scalability, and optimization ensures a cohesive and even intuitive, efficient, and aesthetically pleasing user experience with your icon set. 

When developing your icon set, remember that simplicity, consistency, and usability are the keys to success. Whether you’re designing from scratch or working with an existing library, maintaining a cohesive icon set will enhance the quality of your design and strengthen your brand’s identity. 

For high-quality, scalable vector icons designed with consistency in mind, check out IconFair. Our extensive library of customizable icons is optimized for web and mobile use, providing you with the perfect tools for creating seamless and professional user interfaces.