Iconography
Iconography is the art of creating and using symbols or icons in website and app design. These are the small, simple pictures you see everywhere online - like the shopping cart symbol on e-commerce sites or the home icon on websites. Designers use iconography to help users navigate websites and apps more easily, as these visual elements can communicate ideas faster than words. Think of icons as a universal visual language that helps make websites more user-friendly and appealing. This skill is particularly important in user interface (UI) design and user experience (UX) design, where clear visual communication is essential.
Examples in Resumes
Created consistent Iconography systems for client websites to improve user navigation
Developed modern Icon Sets for a healthcare app's interface
Redesigned company's Icon System to align with new brand guidelines
Implemented responsive Icons and Iconography across mobile and desktop platforms
Typical job title: "Icon Designers"
Also try searching for:
Where to Find Icon Designers
Design Communities
Professional Networks
Learning Resources
Example Interview Questions
Senior Level Questions
Q: How do you approach creating an icon system for a large enterprise application?
Expected Answer: A senior designer should discuss their process for maintaining consistency, scalability, and accessibility across hundreds of icons, plus how they document and share icon guidelines with other team members.
Q: How do you ensure icons are accessible to all users?
Expected Answer: They should explain considerations for color contrast, size requirements for visibility, providing text alternatives, and ensuring icons work well for users with different abilities.
Mid Level Questions
Q: How do you decide between using text labels with icons versus icons alone?
Expected Answer: Should explain how they evaluate user familiarity with icons, context of use, space constraints, and when combining icons with text labels might be necessary for clarity.
Q: What's your process for testing if users understand your icons?
Expected Answer: Should discuss methods like user testing, gathering feedback, and iterating designs based on how well users recognize and understand the icons.
Junior Level Questions
Q: What makes a good icon design?
Expected Answer: Should mention simplicity, recognition, consistency with other icons, appropriate size, and clear meaning to users.
Q: What tools do you use for creating icons?
Expected Answer: Should be able to name common design software like Adobe Illustrator or Figma and explain basic icon creation processes.
Experience Level Indicators
Junior (0-2 years)
- Basic icon design principles
- Working with design software
- Understanding of common icon meanings
- Creating simple icon sets
Mid (2-5 years)
- Creating consistent icon families
- Icon design for different screen sizes
- Understanding of accessibility needs
- Icon animation basics
Senior (5+ years)
- Leading icon system design
- Creating icon design guidelines
- Managing large icon libraries
- Training and mentoring other designers
Red Flags to Watch For
- No portfolio showing icon design work
- Inconsistent style in icon designs
- No understanding of accessibility requirements
- Lack of knowledge about standard industry icons and their meanings
Related Terms
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