Rockstar Icon Designer - Kate McInnes [56]
If you're wondering which graphics program you should use for icon design, first think about the output you want to use. If you want to make Application icons in .ICO or ICN then Photoshop and Illustrator are the best programs to choose. This is because of the plug-in support they have with programs such as Icon Builder and Icon Workshop. If you want to make SVGs, then you can't go past Inkscape for its ability to make WWC-compliant SVGs and XML editing properties built straight into the program. If you're creating PNG icons for websites and interfaces, then any program that you feel comfortable with will work. Remember that early icon design was made in programs that resembled MS Paint.
Icons can be made in a variety of graphic design programs ranging from Photoshop, Illustrator and Fireworks in the Adobe Suite to open-source programs such as Gimp and Inkscape. What is important to remember is that visual communication and style guides are more important than the way in which something is created. The success of an icon relies more on communication than flashy graphics. An icon etched into the ground with a sharp stick has the ability to be a more successful method of communication than a super flashy icon made with expensive software with no particular meaning to the viewer. The following is a list of 3rd party plugins, icon creation software resources that can help you with your icon designs.
Designer Interviews
Jakub Steiner
One of the founding members of the Tango Icon Project, Jakub Steiner has created over 6,000 icon designs and has helped to define the look and feel of programs such as Open Office and Inkscape.
KM You have designed an incredible 6,000+ icons. How did you first get started in icon design and what drives your work today?
JS I really adored the icon set that was present in the Ami Pro word processor many, many moons ago. It wasn't until 2000 when I actually started diving into the creation of these things. It wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the help of Tuomas Kuosmanen, a talented Finnish designer who showed me around GIMP, the free software tool to create bitmap images. I have since then moved to a fully vector based workflow.
KM Can you explain the Tango icon project to people who may not have heard of it before?
JS It's a project that aims to find a common visual ground for icon design among the multitude of free software projects that end up in a product usually referred to as distribution. Before Tango, each project aimed for its own style/identity and the resulting product felt like it was quickly thrown together and looked inconsistent. Typically if you are creating a style you aim for a unique look, but Tango is going the exact opposite way. It tries to find a common ground. As an added bonus, if you follow the guidelines, the need to create 3 separate icon sets for each major operating system suddenly becomes very low.
Title: OpenOffice.org UI icons
Description: A tiny fraction of the 2000+ icons set for OpenOffice.org. Bitmap based workflow. GIMP
KM You use open-source graphics software for your designs. What's the advantage of Gimp and Inkscape over Photoshop and Illustrator? Are there any resources you would suggest to people wanting to learn these programs?
JS The main benefit is the low barrier for entry. If you aim to create a community of artists to design for free software, it would be unfair to ask people to invest in the proprietary and very pricey software. Free software tools tend to improve stability wise, while the proprietary world is focused on coming up with new releases and focusing on new features.
KM What process do you follow to create an icon set from start to finish, and what should people consider when creating their own sets?
JS In many cases there is a sound metaphor in place already so the work focuses on execution. For when there is actual need to design an icon from scratch, it begins with a pencil sketch. It is also wise to focus on a metaphor that will be possible to execute at small size. The danger in starting from