Designing the Collection of Process Icons: The Dreaded Report

24 August 2010 Filed in: Creative Process, Icons
Icon sketches for dreaded report

Icon sketches for "dreaded report"

I’m really struggling with this icon for “Dreaded Report”. Maybe some of the boring, corporate cubicle office culture that I’m trying to infuse this icon with, is rubbing off on me?

So I made some variations, one with a ballpoint pen, one with a graph and one with a skull. And then I can’t make up my mind… Should I put them all in the collection, or leave some out? What do you think? [To be continued... ]

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Designing the Collection of Process Icons: Look and Feel

19 August 2010 Filed in: Creative Process, Icons
Icon design process, from sketch to basic shapes

Icon design process. From sketch to basic shapes

When I’m happy with the sketches for the icons, I launch Adobe Illustrator and start blocking out the icons, drawing simple, clean vector shapes using my pen tablet. I’m designing the Collection of Process Icons in the same style that was established for the first three collections of desktop icons. In this unique design project, everything from the icon concept to the simple and elegant style is based on feedback from you. The look and feel for Process Icons uses the same set of perspectives with simple, uncluttered shapes that are easy to distinguish and find on your desktop. The style is based around a rich colour palette and elegant, natural textures.

Icon design process, adding details, colour, shading and light

Icon design process. Adding details, colour, shading and light

Once I’ve blocked in the basic shapes, I start adding details and colours, next shading and last highlights. In this example with the alarm clock you’ll notice the same palette of reds as in the icon with the Cookery Book, the same greys as in the Gear icon and the same soft cream as in the Shoebox icon. Using the same style consistently, ensures that all the icons fit together and that you can mix and match the different collections to suit your needs.

And in case you were wondering about the dotted lines across these images, yes they are the watermarks I designed for these icon previews to at least make it more difficult for people who want to steal images. [To be continued... ]

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Designing the Collection of Process Icons: Indicating Time

18 August 2010 Filed in: Creative Process, Icons

Here’s the third part of the story about a new design project I’m working on. It’s about the creative process of a new collection of icons called “Process”.

Today and tomorrow. Icon sketches

Today and tomorrow. Icon sketches

These are my sketches for icons that represent things that need to be taken care of “Today” and “Tomorrow”, or “Later”. Many of you have asked for “Today” and “Tomorrow” icons, some of you cooperate on projects where time needs to be specified, others need to schedule work to be published or for deadlines.

While I was working on these icons, I thought “what about adding the dates of a month, wouldn’t that be handy if you really need to indicate time with icons?”

So I made a few sketches to see what it would look like, and I’m thinking of adding a full month of days to the set. What do you think? [To be continued... ]

Calendar with dates. icon sketch

Calendar with dates. icon sketch

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Victory Over a Printer and Starting a New Project with Leaves and Acorns

10 August 2010 Filed in: Art & Design, Studio Tour
My desk in the studio. August 2010

iPhone photography: My desk in the studio. August 2010

Welcome to another day in the studio! Today I’m so excited and relieved to finally have got the printer to work!!!! I daren’t think how much time and money I’ve spent trying to get it to work ever since April! It’s been such a drain. Most of the time I love the independence of running my own creative business, but sometimes doing everything yourself can feel pretty heavy going and especially when you run into a silly technical problem like this one with the printer. Phew… I’m sooooo happy it’s been resolved!!!

Breaking Ice. Detail of art print

Breaking Ice. Detail of art print

Breaking Ice, a painting I made at the end of Marchcame out beautifully on the heavyweight, matt paper with ultra sharpness that I purchased early on this summer! This paper really brings out the colours and gives the print a gorgeous, sumptuous feel and appearance. Oh, joy! I’m thrilled and nervous to finally be able to put Breaking Ice up for sale in the shop!

Lunch: sandwich and orange juice

iPhone photography: Lunch. Sandwich and orange juice

It can only be downhill from here! At least today. We went for a swim in the lake after lunch. Dinner out tonight to celebrate that the printer finally works!

Leaves and acorns. Sketch and inspirationpiration

Leaves and acorns. Sketch and inspiration

Here’s a sketch and some inspiration for a new project I’m working on right now. (See the reflection of my iPhone that I used to snap the photo with, at the bottom of this picture?) Leaves, acorns, greens and simple organic shapes… I’m still playing around, following my intuition, seeing what happens and enjoying trusting the creative process. I’m not sure what I’ll make of it yet, or what it wants to become… Maybe it’ll turn into desktop art because soon it’s time for the Summer Edition of Club Marmalade Moon and something green and organic would be perfect for a summer desktop, wouldn’t it?

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Designing the Collection of Process Icons: A Vintage Touch

3 August 2010 Filed in: Creative Process, Icons
Project. icon sketch with blueprint and hard hat

Project. icon sketch with blueprint and hard hat

Here’s the second part of the story about a new design project I’m working on. It’s about the creative process of a new collection of icons called “Process”.

I started this design project by asking you what kind of icons would be exceptionally useful for you. Which are your recurring projects and important files and folders that you need to find at a glance? Which of your projects do you love the most?

I also started the process of my previous collections of desktop icons by asking you what kind of icons you need, what would help you get organized and find focus in your digital environment?

Each time I’ve asked you what kind of icons you’d find useful, one of the strong trends has been icons that depict tangible, vintage or retro objects to symbolize your most important or loved projects. For example, there were tons of requests for a feather quill pen for “Writing” or “Documents” and an old-fashioned vinyl LP for “Music” (both part of the Collection of Creative Desktop Icons). The vintage office equipment in the Collection of Workflow Icons is another example and so is the old book for “Resources” and leather briefcase for “Work” (both part of the Collection of Organizer Icons)

Perhaps these types of solid, vintage objects bring a tangible feeling of functionality and beauty to our rather abstract, digital environment? Holding a charm and grace that captures our emotions in a way that digital, intangible audio, text and film files don’t?

Safe. icon sketch

Safe. icon sketch

Here’s my sketch of an icon that represents “Safe”. A small, old-fashioned office safe.

This is where you would store documents that are really important to your self, your family or your business. I’ll be using the Safe to store my original logo files, a backup of my blog, and some other important business documents. The “Safe” icon would also make a great icon for a backup disc. What would you put in the Safe?

Urgent/Overdue/Late. icon sketch of old-fashioned alarm clock

Urgent/Overdue/Late. icon sketch of an old-fashioned alarm clock

This is my sketch for an icon that symbolizes Urgent/Overdue/Late. A retro wind-up alarm clock with bells.

Here’s an icon with a unique silhouette that makes it stand out on the desktop so you can find it at an instant. And that’s just what you need when you’re looking for overdue or urgent projects.

One of the challenges when creating this sketch of an alarm clock, was making sure it would look good at small sizes too. I actually spent several days making new sketches of the design and testing that it would look great all the way down to the tiny size you see when you display your icons in list view. I’ll still be reworking the smaller versions, but I want the largest version to resemble the smallest version, as much as is possible without losing any of its functionality and beauty. That’s one of the most important parts of the sketching phase for a new icon project.

Another key part of the sketching phase is to create distinctive silhouettes that make it easy to locate the icon you’re looking for (I wrote about that in the first part of this series).

And last but not least, creating a family of icons where everyone is unique and has their own personality and yet you can tell that they’re family. They fit together as well as with the icons that belong with your operating system, either Windows or Mac. The icons bring a personal, designer feeling to your desktop, and without drawing too much attention to themselves, the icons help you get unstuck and organized so you can work with flow and ease through your day.

Not sure how to customize your icons? Here’s a tutorial for using icons on a Mac and here’s a tutorial for how to change the icons in Windows.

[To be continued... ]

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