Your Thoughts on Good Icon Design

Now that we’ve delved a little bit into what the pros think about icon design, let’s hear some of your thoughts. What makes a good design? What kills a design?  If you had to compile the ten commandments of icon design, what would they be? Do you prefer Windows icons to icons produced for another OS?

From a user standpoint, icons should blend seamlessly into the background. That is, good icons, whether Vista icons or not, have obvious and unobtrusive meanings. Yet it’s difficult to anticipate a user’s reaction to an icon given the varying levels of computer and image literacy among technology users (e.g., just about everyone). Sometimes, the best solution for a company building an interface or product is to customize their application icons to their concepts. One company that will create customized icons is Professional Icons.com. Check them out and view their portfolio here.