The Importance of Iconography
The Importance of Iconography in Aiding Visual Communications. The rise of technology has allowed for an abundance of resources to be delivered at the touch of a button. With so much material on offer, what are ways to capture an audience instantly and quickly communicate messaging in order to obtain interest? One word… ICONS!
Why are icons important?
Icons are vastly important for many sectors of public life and communication, for example, wayfinding, user manuals, and presentations. Needing to quickly view hotel facilities and amenities before booking? No problem, there are icons for that! Need to see a product’s features and benefits quickly, there are icons for that too! Need to jazz up your presentation to a group of people who you know aren’t going to engage with a large amount of text. Guess what… there are icons for that too!
What are the best benefits of using icons?
They are universal! Firstly, icons break down barriers and make communication easy, which is so important in our fast-paced and highly visual world. Secondly, icons are unaffected by location, language, and age, therefore making them the visual secret for successful design. Lastly, they are eye-catching and provide effective communication with ease. Take for example ForChics and Pooch Made. Made Somewhere worked with both these companies to provide icons to highlight key selling points and features. For example, we created icons for ForChics ‘naturally sourced, cruelty-free, and rich in vitamins’ to highlight their commitment to the product and planet. We used icons on the packaging for Pooch Made which identified the correct size of bandanas for each dog breed.
Where can you purchase icons from?
There are many sites on offer. Firstly, our biggest advice is to use icons that are consistent and can be used across various topics and mediums. We recommend Made X Made icons. Made X Made offers thousands of icons from hundreds of topics. They are unique, adjustable, consistent across all collections, and vector! See the below example of 130 Sustainable Packaging Icons by Made X Made. With various ‘free-from’ icons on a sustainable product.
We hope you enjoyed our blog – The Importance of Iconography. Finally, If you’re in need of consistently drawn icons in an array of categories, make sure to check out Made X Made