Creating custom icons for the internet can be a great way to save space and improve the overall look of your site. In addition, icons can often be used as a substitute for words or sentences, making them even more useful. To help you get started, here are 10 simple steps that will help you create custom icons in less than 10 seconds each: 1. Decide on the type of icon you want to create. 2. Choose an appropriate image or set of images to use. 3. Create a vector file that can be edited in an image editing program. 4. Resize the image to the desired size and adjust the colours as needed. 5. Save the file as a .png or .svg file. 6. Open the file in a graphics editor and create a layer for the icon. 7. Use tools such as the pen tool, shape tools, and brushes to create the icon. 8. Export the file as a .png or .svg file. 9. Upload the file to the web and use it on your page. 10. Test the icon to make sure it looks and works as expected. By following these steps, you should be able to create custom icons quickly and easily, allowing you to save space and give your site a more professional look.
How long do you think it takes you to come up with an individual icon?
Do you have just ten minutes to spare? If so, we have just the thing for you. We can provide you with the tools necessary to create ten high-quality icons within this short time frame. Imagine what you could do with just ten minutes!
Creating a unique icon set can provide a brand with depth and personality to its visual language, making it even more powerful than a generic library of icons. Unfortunately, the process of creating such a set can be a challenging task, and many designers do not take the time to learn how to make their own icons, due to the amount of other tasks that need to be done.
In order to achieve this goal, I endeavoured to compose a concise introduction to the fundamentals of iconography that can be read and understood in ten minutes or less (I am serious about this).
If you have the capacity to create personalised icons, you will be able to differentiate yourself from other designers. This will enable you to create more intricate designs for your projects and provide a unique, individual touch.
Morgan Allan Knutson‘s instructional GIF was an invigorating, informative, and concise demonstration of how one can easily create their own icons from the ground up. By showcasing the process, this tutorial has helped to eliminate any lingering apprehension about the task of designing logos or symbols. Icons are typically crafted from basic shapes such as squares, triangles, and circles, and the key to creating a successful design is often simplicity.
In this article, you will be provided with a step-by-step guide on how to create 10 icons using simple shapes in under 60 seconds. We will cover the fundamentals of quickly and efficiently constructing these icons, allowing you to save time and produce a professional-looking product.
Eye Icon
It is necessary to centre align four circles of varying sizes and colours, as illustrated. The left and right points of the largest circle should be pulled away from the centre and towards the back to produce a lighting effect on the iris. Finally, the smallest inner circle should be moved to the edge of the next one.
Tip: To avoid using a white circle, just subtract the two circles from the circle next to each of them using the Pathfinder panel. It produces a cleaner backdrop as a consequence.
Arrow Icon
Depending on your preference, you could either place additional points on the borders of the first square, or draw a narrow line that looks like an arrow.
Charge Icon
Using the stroke shape, experiment with different dimensions to create one filled square within the shape, and one outside to serve as the tip of the battery.
Tip: Vary stroke thickness and padding for aesthetic balance.
List Icon with Bullets
Beginning with a single square, a copy is created to the right of the original, forming a rectangular shape. The entire figure is then copied again, spaced one square apart from the original.
Change the squares to circles to make the design look rounder and more gentle.
Cloud Icon
Create three circles of different sizes. Place the largest circle in the middle, elevating it higher than the other two. Arrange the two smaller circles underneath it to form the base. Modify the shape of one of the smaller circles to provide a foundation for the cloud.
Tip: To create a more organic-looking cloud, experiment with various circle sizes.
Funnel Icon
To create a rectangular shape, begin by drawing a long rectangle. Mark a dot in the centre of both the horizontal and vertical axis. Finally, widen the top edge of the rectangle horizontally.
Tip: Align two squares such that their edges are touching. Then, just extend the uppermost edge horizontally.
Play/Pause Icon
Begin by drawing three parallel rectangles of equal length. Subsequently, convert the widest rectangle into a triangle by adjusting the sides of the rectangle to form a triangular shape.
Tip: Just draw one triangle, then two rectangles next to each other as an alternative.
Place the Arrow Icon
Morgan’s iconic location service symbol served as the inspiration for this design. To replicate this look, simply draw a square and then drag the bottom left corner up until it meets the opposite corner.
Tip: To maintain symmetry while maintaining the correct diagonal angle in Illustrator, hitting the Shift key while dragging the point is a useful trick.
Place Pin Icon
Using the Pathfinder panel, you can create a smaller circle by removing a portion of a larger one. To do this, switch to the Pen Tool (P) and, while holding down the Shift key, click on the desired point. This will make the angle of the line sharper as you drag the lower point straight down.
Tip: Soften the appearance by rounding the corners of the chosen juncture; do so by adjusting the “corner radius” value in the “Transform” panel.
Musical Icon
A 90-degree turn funnel symbol.
Tip: The funnel symbol may be easily copied, pasted, and turned clockwise.
Wave Icon
Construct a line which is completely straight and divide it into multiple sections of equal length. Make sure the line is smooth throughout. Once you are satisfied with the line, you can adjust the points accordingly and ensure that each corner is rounded off to the greatest degree possible.
Tip: For a more rounded appearance, round off the line tips.
An Icon Say a Thousand Words
It is often said that an image holds more power than a thousand words. Icons, which are used to replace lengthy text, can be incredibly beneficial in terms of improving readability, usability, and aesthetics. Developing a set of clear, concise icons that are effective in their purpose can be incredibly valuable. We have demonstrated how easy it is to do this by simply examining and implementing a few of the most popular shapes.
Following are the most important pictorial guidelines:
- Create something significant and symbolic.
- It is often said that simplicity is key, and this should also be applied to the style of writing. Keeping things straightforward and easy to understand should be a priority, as anything too complicated or convoluted will make it difficult for the reader to comprehend.
- Before you act, prepare your thoughts.
- Ensure it scales well.
- Attempt towards consistency.
- Please use just vectors.
- Colour should be used only when it is necessary.
- Understanding elementary geometry is beneficial.
- Considering the concept of affordance when designing an icon could be beneficial for ensuring it fits in with the overall aesthetic of the layout. Affordance is the idea that objects have certain properties that make them suitable for use in a specific context, and taking this concept into account can help to produce an icon that functions effectively within the design.
- Through iconography, a universal language may be achieved.
- Only 26 characters make up the alphabet.
Give it a whirl and see what kind of stuff you can do in only 10 seconds.
