Yesterday we introduced the art of icon design. Three iconographers — Jory Raphael, Zach Roszczewski, and Anne Ulku — provided us a few big-picture concepts. Today, Jory gets particular. Tune in later this week to hear from Anne and Zach.
For Symbolicons Air, I wanted to create an icon set that was both hollow and meaty. I wanted it to have a sense of weight while still being open. Each icon was designed on a 32px grid, with two line weights. The thicker stroke was treated as an object outline, while I used the thinner stroke for detail work.
All of my icon sets start with a real-world use case. I’ll typically need a few icons for a specific project, and once their style has been defined, I fill in the missing pieces in order to create a full set.
Year of Icons
As part of a personal side project, I’ve been designing one new icon every day in 2015. I did a similar project in 2013, but limited myself to glyph-style icons. This year, I’ve been playing a lot more with color. But one of the most fun things about a daily icon project is the ability to explore themes. For instance, I’ve spent a lot of time this year creating fun, pop-culture-based icons. The superhero icons in this shot (above left) are a result of that.
I’ve also explored James Bond icons as well (above right). The hardest part is staying consistent, both in style (though I have much more freedom as these icons can be loosely related) and in schedule. Creating something new every day is a challenge. But it’s also extremely rewarding. In fact the daily project this year has already spawned a new icon set: Symbolicons Color (above center). You can keep up with the daily project at Sensible World on Instagram.
More Jory on Dribbble, Twitter and at sensibleworld.com. More Symbolicons at symbolicons.com. Jory is the design lead at Parent Co, makers of Notabli, and created the artwork for 5by5.
Like what you read? Read the series introduction and Zach Roszczewkski’s installment.
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