Here’s a bit of backstory on why I began hunting for icons, and a few thoughts about icon design in general. If you don’t care about that, skip to the roundup.
A few weeks back, a client remarked that they didn’t like the folder icon used in a project. At first I thought nothing of changing it. I own about a bajillion icons, and how hard could it be to find or design a folder icon?
As it turns out, finding quality, versatile icons is pretty hard, and designing my own is a nightmare. I should have known it wouldn’t be easy to whip up the perfect icon, having witnessed how Dan slaved over his Ballroom icons back in the day.
So, after scouring CandyBar for an hour and coming up short, I did what any modern girl does when confronted with a problem. I tweeted about it.
As usual, Twitter saved the day. I was reminded of a handful of old classics, and introduced to a number of new, gorgeous icon sets. I promised myself and the internet that I’d do a roundup of these icons. I then proceeded to promptly set the task aside and forget about it.
These icons would’ve remained buried in Simplenote, if not for Studiomate and all-around-fantastic-designer Mike Fortress, who sent me a nudge. (Thanks, Mike!) (Also, you should go buy his gorgeous slab-serif font, Deming.)
I usually can’t stand roundup posts (“Top 45 websites using green and yellow!” “Top 30 websites by people with vaginas!”). However, I’m hoping this post will actually help interface designers build a better toolbox, and will also give some much deserved business to the tireless icon designers of the world.
RSS
Dribbble
Twitter
Flickr
Great roundup, Meagan. I’m partial to the Geomicons and the full Pictos set, both of which are not only great for UI work, but wireframing as well. Sometimes clients need to see what an icon represents, and a little circle or box as a placeholder just doesn’t cut it. Dropping in a flat icon of a camera or a magnifying glass helps them get the idea, even if it’s not the exact icon that will end up in the final design.
Patrick Haney