When it comes to design, icons are one of the most important elements of your website, yet they are often forgotten or overlooked. Not only do icons break up content and highlight your most important information, when effectively executed, they help convey who you are and what your brand stands for.

Icons serve many practical functions, as well—primarily to enhance usability and direct customers to the content that is most important for lead generation and conversions. At G5, we recommend using icons that are recognizable, intuitive, and attractive, allowing first time users to navigate your site with ease. Adding labels to icons also improves clarity, something that is crucial when designing for aging eyes or less savvy users.

A well-designed icon set can hook users visually while helping you communicate essential information, keeping your site engagement and dwell time high. Updating your icons is also an easy item to tackle to keep your website looking fresh.

Icon Design Trends

G5 Creative Services is always looking for new and innovative ways to embrace the latest design trends and marry them with our best usability practices. This quarter, we’re seeing a rise in the popularity of small icons, POP colors, disjointed lines, and vertical layouts.

1. Small Icons

Icons don’t have to be big to be effective. Small icons add visual interest to your site and reduce distraction. Not only do small icons take up less space on the screen, they also increase valuable white space needed to balance your site.

2. POP Color Icons

Icon-Trends_POP-COLOR.png

POP color icons are minimalist by nature, and incorporate a single brightly colored element or overlay.This trend is highly scalable for clients with a large and varied portfolio and also adds contrast, complementing your branding while also defining the visual hierarchy of your website.

3. Icons with Disjointed Lines

Icon-Trends_DISJOINTED-LINES.png

Disjointed lines up the ante on flat design, a design philosophy that balances functionality and aesthetics. Flat design eschews the ornamentation of beveled edges and drop shadows in favor of a flat illustrative style that is easier to read and conveys your message quickly and efficiently. Icons with disjointed lines are ideal for clients seeking a sophisticated take on minimalist design. Instead of overwhelming the user with distracting graphic elements, let your photography do the talking.

4. Icons Displayed Vertically

Simplify the browsing experience with vertically aligned icons. Traditional heat mapping tells us that users tend to read websites in an “F” pattern, scanning the upper part of the content area first, followed by a second horizontal movement, and then finally in a vertical pattern along the left-hand side of the screen. By vertically aligning icons you take advantage of this scanning pattern, drawing the eye to icons where users are most likely to see them.

Update Your Icons

Want to learn more about icon design or updating the icons on your website? G5 Creative Services is here to help your design stay relevant. Learn more about the latest icon design trends by scheduling a design consultation today