What's the best way to pick web design icons?

1 Know your purpose

Before you start browsing for icons, you need to define the purpose of each icon you want to use. What do you want to communicate with the icon? How will it help your users navigate, interact, or understand your web design? How will it fit with the rest of your content and layout? Having a clear idea of the role and function of each icon will help you narrow down your options and avoid confusion or clutter.

2 Consider your style

Another factor to consider when picking web design icons is the style or theme of your web design. You want your icons to match the tone, mood, and personality of your brand and website. For example, if you have a minimalist or modern web design, you might want to use simple, geometric, or flat icons. If you have a playful or creative web design, you might want to use colorful, cartoonish, or hand-drawn icons. The style of your icons should also complement the fonts, colors, and images you use in your web design.

3 Choose the right format

Icons can come in different formats, such as SVG, PNG, JPG, or ICO. Each format has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your web design needs. For example, SVG icons are scalable, responsive, and editable, but they might not be supported by older browsers. PNG icons are transparent, high-quality, and widely supported, but they might increase your page load time. JPG icons are small, fast, and easy to use, but they might lose quality when resized. ICO icons are specific for favicons, which are the small icons that appear in the browser tab or bookmark bar.

4 Use a consistent set

One of the most important tips for picking web design icons is to use a consistent set of icons throughout your web design. This means that you should use icons that have the same style, size, color, and shape. This will create a harmonious and professional look for your web design, as well as improve the user experience and usability. You can either create your own set of icons, or use a ready-made set from a reputable source, such as Font Awesome, Iconfinder, or Flaticon.

5 Test and optimize

Finally, after you have picked your web design icons, you should test and optimize them for your web design. You should check how they look on different devices, browsers, and screen sizes. You should also check how they perform in terms of speed, accessibility, and SEO. You might need to adjust the size, color, or format of your icons to make them more visible, readable, or compatible. You might also need to add alt text, title attributes, or captions to your icons to make them more descriptive, informative, or relevant.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?