Designing Icons that Lead to Healthy Choices
Visual Icons built to communicate healthy habits through clarity, consistency, and approachability
Project Overview
This project focuses on the design of cohesive, small-scale icons that are intended to communicate their meaning at a glance, often without any supportive text. My goal was to balance the clarity and simplicity of the designs while having them feel friendly, approachable, and recognizable.
The Design Challenge
The icons are meant to be easily understood at a glance, leaving no room for unnecessary detail or inconsistency. The main challenge was to find the right balance between expressiveness and simplicity. Each icon needed to feel lively, without being overly complex, and had to be understood individually or as a group.
Early Exploration
I began the project by reviewing several reference images to inform my ideas. Picking reference images that would help with the base goal of being simple helped the sketching process.
Sketches
By starting with the basic shape ideas of each fruit, I was able to focus on the recognizability of each icon from the start.
Sketching also helped me layout where details could be removed without sacrificing clarity.
Building a Consistent System
Making sure that I was consistent was a huge focus of the project. Making sure that all the icons share the same design philosophies helped.
Base Red
Outline Red
Base Green
Outline Green
Brown
Color Palette
The color palette was intentionally basic and limited to basic red and green – colors commonly associated with health. Restricting the palette helped to reinforce the theme of the icons while maintaining the visual similarities.
Stroke Weight
All of the Icons use the same stroke width and rounded forms in order to create a cohesive and unique identity.
Refinement: From Sketch to Final
After getting the basics of the icons down, I refined each icon by adding subtle yet simple details that bring the icons to life.
Final Icon Set
The final icons work both individually and as a complete set. Each icon communicates its subject clearly, while maintaining an identical visual style throughout its design.
Reflection & Takeaways
This project reinforced the importance of having restraint in visual design. I learned that clarity often comes from keeping minimal elements rather than going overboard.
Consistency across multiple elements can also strengthen the cohesion between elements and bring out the simplicity and life in the images. These lessons that I learned continue to influence how I approach anything relating to designing in my future.
I approach my designs with a focus on clarity, intention, and the user experience. If you are looking for a designer who values problem-solving and having refined visuals, I’d love to connect.