#Iconographer definition how to

Tip: To do this even faster, simply start with a triangle instead of a square. Now that you have one triangle, simply duplicate that shape once to the right to complete the icon. Add a point to the left edge center, and remove the top and bottom point. Tip: Use different circle sizes to get a more organic-looking cloud. Create the base of the cloud by deforming one of the small circles. Bottom-align the two smallest circles to have a base, and put the biggest circle in between, at a higher position. Cloud Iconĭraw three different size circles. Tip: Replace the square with circles to create a softer look. Select the entire thing, and duplicate twice while keeping one square size space in between. Start with a simple square duplicate it once to its right and reshape it as a long rectangle. Tip: Play with stroke thickness and padding to maintain a good visual balance. Simply play with proportions, while including one filled square into the stroke shape and keeping the second one outside to form the battery tip. Using one square with a stroke and two with fill. Tip: As an alternative, you can simply draw a thin line shaped like an arrow. It’s all about where you add those extra points on the edges of the initial square. It creates a cleaner result on the background. Tip: Instead of using a white circle, simply subtract (using the Pathfinder panel) the two circles from the circle beneath each of them. Finally, move the smallest, inner circle to the edge of the following one to create a lighting effect on the iris. On the largest circle, toward the back, pull the left and right points away from the center. Any time we need to add or remove a point on a shape, we’ll be using the “Pen Tool (P).” Selecting and moving points around will be done with the “Direct Selection Tool (A).” Eye IconĬenter-align four circles, going from largest to smallest with altering colors, as shown. Important Note: We’ll be using Adobe Illustrator in this post, but you can get the same results using Sketch or even Figma. The goal of this article is to create 10 icons within 10 seconds each, using only simple shapes. A rule of thumb in logo or icon design is to keep things simple. It demystifies the process of creating custom icons and shows how simple it can be.Īn icon is in fact a geometric shape that can result from a combination or deformation of basic shapes, such as squares, triangles, or circles.

#Iconographer definition how to

Originally, I was inspired to create this guide by this GIF from Morgan Allan Knutson showing how to create a location services icon in a few seconds. So I set out to create a super simple guide to help you learn the basics of iconography in less than 10 minutes (I mean it).īeing able to create custom icons will open up a whole new world for you to start creating intricate shapes for your projects, which will distinguish you from the rest of the crowd, giving you a competitive edge as a designer. Most designers don’t ever bother to learn how to create custom icons, mainly because that’s yet another course to add to our learning queue. Iconography is a form of communication that adds to a brand’s visual language, so a custom icon set is more meaningful and engaging than a simple, generic one. On average, how long does it take you to design a custom icon?Ī couple minutes? Ten minutes? Longer? What if we showed you how to make 10 great icons in less than 10 minutes?