[kde-guidelines] Styleguide: Icon design

[Heiko Tietze]

* Choose icons from the Oxygen icon set and follow guidelines on [[Projects/Usability/HIG/IconDesign| icon design]].

http://techbase.kde.org/Projects/Usability/HIG/IconDesign

==Purpose==
Icons are pictorial representations of functions and objects, important not only for aesthetic reasons as part of the visual identity of a program, but also for utilitarian reasons as shorthand for conveying meaning that users perceive almost instantaneously. Well-designed icons improve the visual communication and strongly impact users' overall impression of visual design. Last but not least, icons are space-saving and improve usability by making programs, objects, and actions easier to identify, learn.

== Guidelines ==
* As a developer use an icon from the predefined set. KDE uses the [http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/kdesupport/oxygen-icons/ Oxygen icon set]. Ask at the [https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-artists kde-artists mailing list] if the set lacks on a specific item.
* As a designer create icons with varying sizes in respect to the level of design. Simply scaling down (or up) does not work.
* Design icons with a small number of metaphors [1]. 
** Apply metaphors only once (e.g. do not use a brush twice for different options).
** Rethink conventionally used metaphors (e.g. the clipboard icon of paste).
** Antiquated metaphors might work well (e.g. a floppy is not necessarily outdated to represent save).
** Adjust the degree of abstractness according to familiarity of the metaphor.
** Avoid using arrows, they are unspecific.
** Define metaphors independent from language and culture.
** Make icons simple.
* Colorize icons according to the meaning but in respect to application’s colors.
* Don’t use animated icons.
* Test your icon set on strength of association, discriminatory power, conspicuousness, and, if applicable, on accessibility.
==Implementation==
http://websvn.kde.org/trunk/kdesupport/oxygen-icons/
https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-artists
==References==
[1] http://user-prompt.com/semiotics-in-usability-guidelines-for-the-development-of-icon-metaphors/


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