Rockstar Icon Designer - Kate McInnes [53]
If you're working on your own project, you should still make a list of the assets and specifications. Write down the icons you want to make, the file format you want to output them in and the style you intend to use. Creating a list will help keep you on track and focus on the technical details of the icons so you can design quickly and efficiently.
Create a Checklist
After you have a list of icons and specifications, break the icons down into categories based on function. If you're creating a set of icons for a program, break the icons down into categories such as tools, functions, and alerts. Write each category into a spreadsheet with the name, output, category and any other technical details, plus a column to tick when the icon is complete. A checklist will keep the project on track and it's a good place to keep notes and technical details.
If you're creating a set for a personal project, having a checklist will help keep your focus on creating the icons. Once the list is complete, be sure to stick to it. Adding designs that aren't on the list is a great way to become bogged down in the details rather than moving forward and completing the end product.
Sketch Designs
Always sketch the icons before you start the final designs. This is especially important when you're rendering in a complex style, so you have a clear idea of the metaphor and the angle that you want to render it in. Sketching can be as simple as pencil and paper, or you can use a digital drawing tablet. The key is to keep the sketches loose and refine them as you develop a clear idea of the metaphor. Sketch out all of the designs and look at them as a set. Does each design clearly communicate the function? If any designs look too similar, make further design tweaks until the set is coherent, precise, and ready to be digitized.
If you're creating an icon and you're in doubt of the design you have chosen, then try this simple test:
Draw or print your design on a piece of paper.
Find a group of people with varying computer skills (family and co-workers are great for this).
Ask them what they think the design is for and take notes of the response
If the feedback isn't good, then, tweak your design accordingly. Peers and co-workers are usually pretty good for design suggestions (welcome or not). You could easily ask online if you're working alone, but I find watching expressions is a great indicator of whether a user will learn the function in time – complex tools or functions usually have to be remembered rather than instantly recognized. If the tool or function is particularly confusing (I once had to make an icon for "Folder-level JavaScript" in 16 x 16px) you can add the tool text underneath.
Digital Rendering
Before you begin to create the icon assets, make a palette of the color swatches you want as the basis of your set. If you're working on icons for a particular platform, research the interface guidelines and download any template assets. Android and Tango have downloadable assets, Windows, Mac OS and iOS have general guidelines, but many 3rd party files, such as templates and textures, can be downloaded from the internet. If you're creating your own layer styles remember to save them to the effects library as you make them. If you're using pictogram style assets save them as graphics or Symbols for easy storage and use. Refer to the section "Creating a Graphic Set for Illustrator and a Symbol Set for Photoshop" for detailed instructions on how to create pictogram sets.
Asses the Final Designs
An icon design isn't finished until every icon in the set is made. Small errors such as alignment and mismatched colors will become clear once all of the icons are assessed as a finished set. If you're creating icons for a particular interface, group the icons