If you visit any website these days, you will almost certainly notice the use of icons somewhere in the design. That’s because well placed and well-designed icons play a major role in boosting the look and feel of a website and making it easier to navigate. If you are interested in introducing icons to your site, or simply would like to gauge the effectiveness of your current icon arrangement, here are a few best practices to keep in mind.

Use Consistency

Consistent visual characteristics are a sure way to develop a sense of unity in your branding. As such, you should be sure to include a consistent array of icons throughout your site. There are a few ways to achieve this.

You’ll find that many sites stick to the same color for each of their icons. While this is effective, that doesn’t mean you should avoid the use of multiple colors altogether. However, if you do intend to use multiple icon colors, you should be certain to use consistent stroke weights and only vary colors if it adds meaning or clarification.

Use Careful Judgement

Icon buttons are a popular feature for modern sites, but that doesn’t mean they should be carelessly placed. Limit your use of icons to buttons, actions, and sections that can be interpreted at a glance. If your user can’t identify an icon’s purpose after a brief look, it has essentially failed to perform its function.

Consider the Size of Your Icons

The level of detail and size of your icons should be considered before making them live on your site. What looks like a clear, detailed icon on your desktop may be quite small and unclear on a smartphone screen. Essentially, you should be attempting to choose or create scalable icons that strike a balance of readability for both large and small screens.

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