ID:APPS –Icons and Logos

Summary

This podcast episode clarifies the distinction between logos and icons, essential for designers and clients. Logos are scalable vector graphics representing a brand, while icons are graphical representations within a square canvas for specific tasks. App icons, a subset of icons, serve dual roles as both the app's button and branding. Key differences include scalability, shape, and design constraints. The episode emphasizes the importance of understanding these differences to avoid confusion in design disciplines.

Takeaways

• 📍 Icons are graphical representations used to bridge understanding of abstract concepts or operations.
• 🎯 Icons help in simplifying complex ideas and making them more recognizable, often replacing lengthy descriptions.
• 📐 App icons are created in various PNG sizes, not as scalable vectors, and must be designed to fit specific pixel dimensions.
• 🔍 Icon design must account for different screen sizes and states, ensuring clarity across various contexts such as list view and dock.
• 📏 Unlike logos, icons need to fit within a square space, and their layout is restricted to that defined space.
• 🎨 Logos are scalable vector graphics (SVGs) and can be used in a variety of media without specific size constraints.
• 🔄 Logos differ from icons as they are not restricted by technical size requirements and can be used in multiple forms and shapes.
• 🤔 People often confuse icons and logos due to the crossover in their use, especially in app branding where an icon can represent a brand.
• 🖼️ App icons should embrace simplicity, be memorable, and avoid clutter, making them stand out on various interfaces and stores.
• ❌ App icons should not include text, photos, or product images, and should be tested against different wallpapers to ensure visibility.

Q & A

What is the main difference between an icon and a logo?

An icon is a graphical representation of a concept or operation, often used to illustrate an application or individual operations within an application. A logo, on the other hand, is a graphical element or mark that represents an entity such as an organization, product, or brand.

Why do people often confuse icons and logos?

People confuse icons and logos because they are both graphical elements used in branding and user interfaces, and their roles have blurred in the age of app icons where an icon can serve as both an app icon and the branding for an entity.

What is the technical difference between icons and logos in terms of scalability?

Icons, particularly app icons, are not scalable and are typically delivered as PNG files in multiple sizes. Logos, however, are scalable vector graphics (SVGs) that can be resized without losing quality and are not confined to specific sizes.

How do app icons differ from traditional icons in terms of their role?

App icons not only represent an application but also serve as the branding for the app, acting as the first instance users interact with, and they need to be memorable and attractive to stand out in app stores and on home screens.

What are the typical sizes for app icons?

App icons come in a set of PNG files in multiple sizes, ranging from 29 pixels to 1024 pixels, to accommodate various display needs.

Why do app icons need to be in square format?

App icons must fit within a square format because they are designed to operate within confined spaces such as app launch screens and need to be consistent across different platforms and devices.

What are some design principles for creating effective app icons?

Effective app icons should embrace simplicity, be recognizable, have a single focus point, keep the background simple, and avoid transparency. They should also not include photos, screenshots, or interface elements, and should not be used again within the app interface.

Why is it important to test app icons against different wallpapers?

Testing app icons against different wallpapers ensures that the icon is visible and stands out against a variety of backgrounds, as users may have diverse wallpapers on their devices.

How should logos be crafted in terms of their adaptability?

Logos should be crafted as scalable vector graphics to ensure they can be used across a range of contexts and media, from billboards to small pages, without losing quality.

What is the role of an app icon within an app's interface?

An app icon serves as the button for launching the app and is also used as the brand mark for the app, appearing throughout the system in settings, search results, and other areas.

Why should words or letter forms be avoided in app icons?

Words or letter forms should be avoided in app icons because they can be hard to read at small sizes and can clutter the limited space available. They are generally used only when they are an essential part of a well-known brand's logo.