Comments on: Pictograms for web application?

Question: Pictograms for web application?

idest — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 10:31:15 -0800

I'm working on a project for a content management application and need to create an icon for each of 2 types of documents. I'm stumped.

The icons need to be visually distinct from each other and not reliant upon a color change to indicate the difference. They need to be devoid of cultural connotations and they need to be pretty tiny, so it would be best that they only have one or two elements. The two types of documents they will represent are:

1) Living Documents: compiled on the fly from the latest approved versions of content available in the data source.

2) Legacy Documents: scanned static documents that previously existed only in paper format.

I need ideas (just description - no need to draw anything)!

By: librarina

librarina — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 10:49:16 -0800

A book for the legacy documents, or a pile of papers if you can have that level of detail, and ... a computer? Some 1s and 0s?

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 10:49:48 -0800

1. little piece o' paper, maybe at an angle with one or two little "shadow" pieces o' paper behind it, indicating motion, either one on each side, or just sort of coming in behind the little piece o' paper from one side
2. standard document icon - little piece o' paper

this search on google images comes up with approximate representations of both types of icons that I had in mind, though one is just a small gif.

By: nicwolff

nicwolff — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 10:50:30 -0800

Apple's "Add playlist" icons in iTunes and elsewhere add a gear to a document icon to mean "dynamic query-based playlist", like this:

By: SpecialK

SpecialK — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 11:04:07 -0800

idest - for the legacy documents, possibly a scroll?
And for the digital ones, I echo everyone else that as long as you come up with something that differs them from regular documents by adding something consistent to the image, people will 'get' it.

By: nathan_teske

nathan_teske — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 11:04:14 -0800

Again, stealing from Apple: for number one I'd use a set of rotational arrows to indicate turnover/constant change (no, not animated rotating - just rotational).

Static documents, definitely in with Jessamyn

By: madamjujujive

madamjujujive — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 11:30:17 -0800

This page of 300 images from 1800 sites and this (warning) huge page of icons may give you ideas. As others have pointed out, Apple is the best at this, so Susan Kare's portfolio should be helpful.

By: adamrice

adamrice — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 14:15:33 -0800

How about a document icon with an ice-cube badge for "frozen" (static) documents, and one with a wave badge for "liquid, changing" documents?

By: adamrice

adamrice — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 15:12:08 -0800

On second thought, a snowflake might be easier to identify than an ice cube--but not as evocative.

By: mwhybark

mwhybark — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 22:02:51 -0800

Gelernter once suggested document icons age from white to brown based on age. Use the default doc type icon for the scanned docs, but color them brown or deep tan. The active docs should be white and offer a badge indicating "new" or "active." A sparkle, for example, or an unlocked padlock.