18 Feb 2008 04:37:51 | Sean Morelli
Icons for a better design
Conventional software is changing and becoming more advanced as new
online services arise and is being coined with the phrase, "Software As A
Service".
With industry Giants like Google and Microsoft, creating online software
and wizards and many other businesses joining in this endeavor, interface
design is more meaningful with the use of icons.
Years ago, the standards of icons and interfaces were created and helped
to guide us through certain tasks, such as printing or saving your word
processing document or spreadsheet. These standards were key in
teaching younger and older generation to navigate around certain interfaces
just as importantly as the standard placement of navigation.
Organizations like Planet Icon and Icon Galore who create and provide a
large variety of icons, some of which you can download for free have offered
the web developer, business owner and graphics designer the opportunity to
create meaningful, compelling interfaces for their software or website.
IconPlanet.com is
dedicated to offer world class XP icons at an affordable price and provides
more valuable information on icon characteristics. They also provide
FREE tips and downloads of icons.
Icons are available in the previous standardized look and feel and in
more smoothed, aqua or "gel-like" appearances that have been popularized in
the last several years. Icons are organized by themes or by industry
to help you make your selection during design.
A note of warning though. Don't fall into the trap of becoming
overly creative and start creating icons for common tasks that will
disorient your visitor! Let me ask you; Would you instinctively know
to load your document to the web by clicking an icon that has the appearance
of a book, rather than the standard download arrow pointing downwards?
Probably not. Best to pay attention to these things before going wild
with design.
Get started today
with changing your design interface to become more meaningful and download
your free icons from PlanetIcons.com
About Author :
Sean Morelli is a web design consultant and of RPG Designs, LLC and Kansas City based Web Development firm at http://www.rpgdesigns.net.