How do you use icons and images with text?

When choosing icons and images, relevance and clarity are key. The visuals should directly relate to the topic at hand, not be generic decorations. For instance, if writing about a software feature, use an icon of that feature, not a random image. Additionally, simplicity and recognition are important. Avoid intricate details or confusing color schemes, as minimalism and high contrast tend to work best, especially for small or low-resolution images. The goal is for the iconography to complement the text, not compete with it. Following these principles will lead to effective and cohesive visual communication.

These days due to creativity and the eagerness to stand out, a lot of designers try to create icons that have never been seen or used but fail to realize that the idea is clear to them because they know what they are designing. As a designer, you should never let your creative desires triumph your ability to convey information to your users. Clarity is very important, use icons and images that are clear and easily understood.

In my experience icons and images play a vital role in attracting an audience and should be related to the topic. For example, if have developed an android app, use the related icon to represent the specific app.

This isn't just about throwing icons and images together; it's about painting a picture that tells a tale. They're more than just pretty visuals; they're your partners in storytelling. Think of them like a dynamic duo that dances to the rhythm of your content, adding depth and layers to your message. So, as you embark on this artistic adventure, remember – every icon, every image is like a brushstroke that adds to the masterpiece of your design story.

I think icons and relevant images can change the view of a website. You might have a basic website with some static sections/contents, You can draw consumer/client or general visitor's attention with optimized, professional, well sized and eye-catchy images and icons. Like everyone said, you have to use relevant visual elements in your website. Otherwise, you might have been increasing the impartial bounce rate.

Imagine a dance floor for design – let icons and images groove with your text. Think of it like coordinating dance partners – they should move in sync. This alignment creates a design rhythm that's as seamless as a tango. Whether it's left, right, top, or bottom, icons and images complement your text's moves. It's like crafting a visual dialogue where every step enhances the story. Just like dancers follow the lead, let your icons and images follow your text, ensuring a captivating performance for your audience's eyes.

Generic Icons or universal icons may not require text. Icon alone conveys a message for itself. When using icons it is vital to consider the stroke weight, thickness, and color within the website color palette.

Align as design elements, sure, but also align content with icon. Having a copywriter who knows how to write UX microcopy makes this process easy to produce and a delight to users.

The second step involves aligning icons and images with text, achieving harmony and balance in web design. Horizontally, choose positioning that complements the context, like placing them before, after, above, or below the text, based on layout. Vertically, employ CSS properties (e.g., vertical-align, line-height, flexbox) to align icons and images with text. For centering, use vertical-align: middle; to achieve balance between text and visual elements. Remember, proper alignment enhances the overall aesthetics and readability of your content.

As Mehedi said above, coexistence is key. Every element has its personality and plays its role to the overall symphony. Just like a musical sequence creates a sensation, the same goes with text, icons and photography. At time musicians lead, creating an everlasting impression and at times every member of the band contributes to the Galaxy of sound. In one word, Harmony.

In my experience, the ratio of the icon to text is the most cruical thing you can do when it comes to aligning both elements. Having the ratio to overwhelming it could easily distract users from the main aim of the text and in turn losing out on potenital conversions.

Imagine crafting your design like a bespoke suit – now, it's sizing up icons and images. Visual harmony means aligning their dimensions with text rhythm, like dancers finding their groove. Avoid extremes – not too bold, not too timid. Think of it as a visual duet – icons and images slightly taller, a touch more prominent, like a friend who complements your style. CSS tools step in, like magic wardrobe adjustments.

The third step involves sizing icons and images appropriately, considering text size, spacing, and density. Avoid extremes—icons too big or small can disrupt the balance. A guideline is to use icons slightly larger than the text but not exceeding twice the size. CSS properties like width, height, max-width, or max-height help control sizing. For instance, use width: 1.2em; to make icons 1.2 times text size, maintaining visual harmony. Balancing size ensures icons and images complement text without overpowering or getting lost.

A rule of thumb I've picked up is always make sure that the icons match each other. For example, if the icon set has an outlined stroke, make sure that all of the icons have the same stroke weight. It looks cleaner. And definitely make sure they have the same proportions.

Using contrast and color is very important not only for the visual appearance of the product but also in terms of accessibility. Users need to be considered while designing, people with bad eyesight, color blind people and so on. Make sure to use contrast well to pass across your message to every type of user you would encounter on your product.

Often times, people think of color and contrast as strictly color and how things pop out from other elements. However, think about line weight and negative space in this context. Certain colors on top of other colors at the wrong line weight will literally disappear. Some colors are too close together in purity or color density, causing them to be imperceptible. Sometimes this can be used to great effect, but at other times, it can be very difficult for the visually impaired to interpret (as well as the tools used to aid them). Without these considerations, a carefully planned layout could be both illegible, and unintelligible. We all know you are not aiming for that. So, if you think it looks great, get another set of eyes.

Imagine an artist's palette at your fingertips – now, it's time to weave with colors and contrast. Think of it as storytelling with shades, adding drama and depth. Light dances with dark, hues dance with neutrals, creating a visual dance that captivates. Just like a character in a play, the text takes center stage – make it pop against a backdrop that complements its essence. Colors should mingle like old friends, harmonizing to create an eye-catching ensemble. Picture it as composing a symphony – each color note contributes to the melody. This color wizardry transforms your design into an immersive experience, drawing eyes and sparking emotions.

The fourth step involves using contrast and color thoughtfully in your web design to enhance visual appeal and emphasis. Contrast and color help icons stand out, convey meaning, and evoke emotions. However, excessive use can lead to visual clutter. Maintain a consistent, limited color palette for icons, aligning with text color and tone. Employ CSS properties like filter, opacity, or hover effects to introduce variation and interaction, enhancing the overall experience. Striking the right balance ensures your icons and images complement the content without overwhelming it.

Imagine crafting a design that's like a friendly hug for everyone – now, it's about being inclusive. Think of it as making sure everyone feels comfy and welcome, no matter what they need. Design with kindness, so words are clear, colors are nice on the eyes, and things aren't too crowded. It's like setting up a cozy hangout where everyone's happy. Just like you'd help a friend, make your design easy for everyone to enjoy, like chatting with pals. Following these ideas means your design is like a warm smile that invites everyone to join in.

Several government web projects had me rigidly applying various guidelines to design elements, and the biggest takeaway was how yellow/white combos are often invisible to the color blind, and extremely difficult to read for most adults over the age of 40. It’s a good rule to follow, though there are workarounds when absolutely necessary, such as adding more red to the yellow so it has a burnt hue for contrast.

The fifth step is to adhere to accessibility guidelines, ensuring your icons and images are inclusive for all users, including those with visual impairments or disabilities. Follow these key practices: Alternative Text: Provide descriptive alt text, captions, or labels for icons and images. This helps screen readers convey the content to users who can't see them. Semantic HTML: Use appropriate HTML elements like <img> or <svg> for icons and images, enhancing their semantic meaning and accessibility. Avoid relying solely on icons/images for crucial info; use text or accessible methods together. Testing: Use tools to ensure icons/images are accessible: contrast checkers, screen readers, or browser extensions.

Testing is one area that tends to be neglected, especially between local/test applications and the production version. Broken links to the source of images is one of the most common issues I stumble across today, followed by images/icons that completely break the flow of a website on either mobile (most commonly) or desktop!. Start testing from the very beginning and you'll save yourself time in the long run!

Testing and optimizing online images is vital for improved user experience, website speed, and engagement. Optimized images load quickly, enhancing browsing on mobile devices and slower connections. Experimenting with formats, resolutions, and compression balances image quality and size, reducing bandwidth usage and server load. This boosts search engine rankings and user satisfaction, extending time spent on the site. Responsive design and adaptive images ensure proper display across devices. Consistent testing and optimization lead to better metrics and increased conversions.

Icons and images amplify communication, but overuse can overwhelm designs. Like an unpaid rent leading to eviction, elements not serving communication goals are removed. This is the essence of "thoughtful reduction" in design. Thoughtful reduction should also be practiced for sustainable web design. Reducing data size/data transfer saves energy. Being thoughtful and intentional with your design choices will elevate your craft.

If the icon or image doesn’t enhance your message, leave them out. Just because you can use them doesn’t mean you should or you have to.

Custom Icons or Icon Library? While custom icons are a must have for serious brands, they are more costly and not as straight forward to implement. Small businesses in the US can rely on industry standards, like Font Awesome or Google Material. Icon libraries work, by adding a short piece of code to your website’s <head> section. It’s instructing the website, while it’s loading, to display an icon, by calling its class. They are quickly implemented and color, size and more can be modified via CSS just like text. Their markup is easy to read for crawlers. Some use cases will benefit from a custom set of icons. Work with a graphics design artist and plan appropriately in your budget. Vector files are a must - or risk blurry quality.

Totally agree. The question that should be asked before using an icon is; will the icon give more clarity to the end user over other methods like tekst. Icons tend to be used not only as functional elements but as graphic elements to make the overall look "better" or "design" while in my opinion the only reason for using an element should be improved ux/ui