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Noun Project – Icons for Everything

thenounproject.com

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Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#92
post #65
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That really depends. Can you imagine photoshop's interface if it were all text? This is an extreme example but more generally I think text is better for discoverability but icons are better for visual memory and thus better suited for buttons in applications you use often. On desktop there are always tool tips. On touch interfaces this was not yet figured out.

I did a workup of the iphone with no icons and just text: http://justinvincent.com/page/2387/if-the-iphone-used-text-l... It shows just how stark an interface can look without them.

As a counterpoint, here are Zendesk's icons with no text: http://imgur.com/a/wzCO0 -- can you guess what those do?

Of course, this is about the worst example of iconography I've ever seen so here's the same with the labels left in: http://imgur.com/a/CyqA6 and I'd even go so far as to suggest that given their choice of icons they should just get rid of them and make it text-only.

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#93
post #78

I always look for the icons with multiple gears. Have not found one which would actually work: Gears not touching, size difference blocks, or three gears in deadlock. :)

Hey only one of my gear icons wouldn't work :)

https://thenounproject.com/blackspike/collection/gears/

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ah the halcyon days of September last year when I made nearly $40. Still, it's free beer money, and a good enough way to distribute work to the public domain. It feels good as a designer who's not able to easily contribute to the open source community.

I’m sure there are loads of open-source projects that would benefit from design contributions, they just don’t necessarily think to ask for it. (For example, I could use a bit of help later this year from someone with a UI/UX/web background.)

my site is in my bio, hit me up when you need design help :)

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#96
post #65
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That really depends. Can you imagine photoshop's interface if it were all text? This is an extreme example but more generally I think text is better for discoverability but icons are better for visual memory and thus better suited for buttons in applications you use often. On desktop there are always tool tips. On touch interfaces this was not yet figured out.

I did a workup of the iphone with no icons and just text: http://justinvincent.com/page/2387/if-the-iphone-used-text-l... It shows just how stark an interface can look without them.

On the other hand, I find myself suffering from "icon blindness" sometimes - it is usually after working for some time, but at some point, I just don't process them very well. Command-tab window switching (MacOS), for instance, is something I end up staring at a lot, trying to figure out which one I want.

But then I tend to interpret text much more quickly and without having to think about it than with icons, as well. I'm just a word person. Probably why I'm generally happier typing at the command line than poking and clicking at buttons.

I'd take the text-only iPhone, myself. Stark is fine.

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#97
I would be using this service if they offer all possible resolutions with one click. I assume this is service which should be used by non-designers to quickly get icons for some proof of concept or similar.

Am I missing something?

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#98
post #92
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I did a workup of the iphone with no icons and just text: http://justinvincent.com/page/2387/if-the-iphone-used-text-l... It shows just how stark an interface can look without them.

As a counterpoint, here are Zendesk's icons with no text: http://imgur.com/a/wzCO0 -- can you guess what those do? Of course, this is about the worst example of iconography I've ever seen so here's the same with the labels left in: http://imgur.com/a/CyqA6 and I'd even go so far as to suggest that given their choice of icons they should just get rid of them and make it text-only.

I "understand" the icons... support is one box leaning on another, guide is one leading another, chat looks like 2 speaking at each other, and talk looks like a phone.

But wow are they horrible. I agree, they really should go with text-only.

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#99
post #65
post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That really depends. Can you imagine photoshop's interface if it were all text? This is an extreme example but more generally I think text is better for discoverability but icons are better for visual memory and thus better suited for buttons in applications you use often. On desktop there are always tool tips. On touch interfaces this was not yet figured out.

I did a workup of the iphone with no icons and just text: http://justinvincent.com/page/2387/if-the-iphone-used-text-l... It shows just how stark an interface can look without them.

Zune is a good counterexample to this. It's a lovely UI, just a little too late to the game.

http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/images/features/zune_01.jpg

Re: Noun Project – Icons for Everything

#100
post #22

I think $40/yr or $2/icon is too far out of reach for me to use these icons as a proof of concept, blog, or early website launches. I have a website idea which would use about 100 of these icons, but I can't justify the cost yet since it brings in no revenue.

At 3$/mo (averaged) it's been a great deal for me. I do lots of website/other designs and they're royalty free so I can do anything I want with them (except use them as a logo). It makes it easy for me because say, I want a svg of a penguin, BAM got one right there (169 actually).
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