In 2022 we began the massive undertaking that was updating our client Anthony Iannarino’s iconography collection. These new icons lean into neuo-morphic principles and use lighting effects by means of gradients, shading, shadows, highlights, etc. to convey the idea of dimensionality. Gradients, which were a large part of the previous style, make a return but are done much softer.
Icons are created on an “as needed basis” and the collection is ever-expanding. Shown below is a selection of icons that I was responsible for creating.
Development
The previous iteration of iconography was more stroke-centric. It made use of line work with the occasional use of additional shapes for visual flair to communicate ideas and objects. Icons also made use of dramatic and bold gradients built out of the brand palette.
When pitching our refresh, we shared several different icon examples and styles. Anthony ultimately gravitated most towards the look of some work done for IBM where color and form defined areas of contrast and things looked very clean and high-end. He also gravitated towards some of the simplicity and ease of recognizability of a few other references, but felt that the style was too basic. Our solution was to combine the two main elements he was drawn to and combined IBM’s level of style with the other reference’s ease of readability.
Animation
The bright colors of these new icons add a sense of playfulness to the professionalism. Animated versions of them are very bouncy, using lots of ‘squash & stretch’ and ‘overshoot’ to really push the idea of energy behind things. When applicable the dimensionality aspect is exaggerated further by animating the layers and using the staggering of elements to add another level of personality to everything.
Other Applications
Shown below is a variety of applications of the iconography collection. They are used in all of the materials we produce for Anthony—which include: social media posts, slide decks, graphics and downloadables for his blog, and print materials.
