Picking a style

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Skeuomorphic Icons

A style that could make a comeback—Skeuomorphic icons mimic real-world objects using textures, shadows, and depth, creating a tactile and realistic feel. Designed to make digital interactions intuitive, they reference physical counterparts, offering a sense of comfort in digital experiences.

Mac OSX Leopard icons by Apple.

Pros

• Intuitive and relatable, especially for first-time users.
• Highly engaging with detailed, realistic designs.
• Could make a comeback when users are bored of minimalism.

Cons

• Can feel outdated in modern interfaces.
• Heavier file sizes and more complex to design.
• Less versatile for scalable design systems.

Best for

• App icons.
• Editorial or decorative illustrations.
• Projects where realism and familiarity are key.

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Isometric Icons

A geometric style with depth—Crafted with a consistent 30° angle, these icons offer depth and geometric precision, creating a structured and technical visual style.

Isometric icons by Timo Kuilder.

Pros

• Visually dynamic and engaging.
• Great for illustrating complex processes or systems.
• Adds personality and uniqueness to interfaces.

Cons

• More complex and time-consuming to design.
• Can be too detailed for small UI elements.

Best for

• SaaS dashboards with complex data visualization.
• Marketing visuals and presentations.
• llustrative elements.

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Illustrative icons

Minimalism meets artistic mood—Close to illustrations, they retain the clarity of iconic design but add a hand-crafted, artistic touch with organic lines and subtle textures. Balancing minimalism and creativity, they feel approachable while staying clear and functional.

Tic Toc Icon Set by Leo Rheeder.

Pros

• Human and artistic: Adds a crafted, personal feel to digital interfaces.
• Visually distinctive in a design space dominated by minimalism.

Cons

• More Time-Consuming to Design: Requires attention to detail and artistry.
• Inconsistent in Overly Minimal Interfaces: May feel out of place in ultra-strict, minimal systems.

Best For

• Branding Elements for brands that value craftsmanship and artistic expression.
• Presentation Graphic with storytelling.
• Marketing Campaigns: Adds an emotional element to visuals.

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Hand-drawn icons

Hand-drawn icons bring a playful, personal touch to projects with their organic lines and expressive style. Mimicking real pen or marker strokes, they feature charming details—like this winking laptop below—that give them a casual, friendly feel. Their simplified forms keep things clear and bold, making them easy to read while adding creativity to any project.

Freehand icons by Streamline.

Pros

• Approachable & friendly: Great for give a casual style to your project.

• Unique personality: Helps brands stand out and feel more human.

• Visual storytelling: The hand-drawn style feel expressive and alive, ideal for engaging storytelling.

Cons

• Less formal: Not suitable for highly professional or conservative contexts (e.g., legal, finance).

• Lower scalability: Some fine details may not scale down as cleanly as minimal grid-based icons.

• Not always legible: The loose style can reduce clarity for users who need easily recognizable visuals.

Best for

• Onboarding screens: Makes apps feel warm and easy to start using.

• Error pages (404s, downtime): Lightens frustration with playful visuals.

• Presentation decks & infographics: Adds charm and energy to content.

• Creative blogs and websites: Matches the playful tone of creators and unique brands.

• Kids’ apps, lifestyle products: Perfect for casual and youth-focused experiences.

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Brutal icons

Brutal icons embrace bold, almost aggressive design. Inspired by brutalist architecture, they feature heavy strokes, sharp geometry, and high contrast to make a confident statement. Deliberately raw and minimal, this style favors strength and precision over softness—ideal for bold, tech-driven interfaces.

Material Pro icons by Streamline. An expanded icon set built on Google’s Material Design guidelines — improved, and packed with additional icons.

Pros

• High visual impact: Strong contrast and thick lines make them attention-grabbing.

• Consistent style: Their structure, built on primitive geometric shapes, gives the set a clean and unified appearance.

• Modern & trendy: Fits well with brutalist web design, minimalist branding, and innovative tech products.

• Iconic feel: Each shape feels memorable due to its bold, geometric build.

Cons

• Lacks warmth: The hard-edged style can feel cold, rigid, or overly technical.

• Less detail: Sacrifices expressive or illustrative qualities in favor of simplicity.

• May not suit all brands: Too harsh for friendly, human-centered usage.

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Let's remix them all!

There are no strict rules when it comes to icon styles—you can mix different influences to create something uniquely yours. In fact, developing a distinctive style with bold visual choices is often the best way to stand out in a crowded brand space. Here are a few examples of creative and unconventional uses of style:

Flat style + hand-drawn

Christmas and winter illustrative icons by Elmira Gokoryan.

Line + Color + Isometric perspective view

Investment and trading spot icons by Neha Dinesh.

Line + Solid + Perspective, with a duotone color scheme

Illustrated Icons by Josh Warren

Flat + Brutalist icons

UMAUMA Icons by Laura Nunes.

Line, with an hand-drawn touch

Lululemon icons, by Zach Roszczewski