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How to pick a good icon library for your project

by Kewal Krishna

Last updated : February 5, 2025

Icons play a crucial role in modern design, offering a visual language that enhances user experience and simplifies communication. Whether you’re designing a website, app, or any digital platform, the quality of your icon library can make a significant difference. But with so many options available, how do you identify an icon library that truly stands out?

In this blog, we’ll explore the characteristics of a good icon library and why they matter. From scalability and customization to aesthetic appeal and performance, these traits can help you choose an icon set that elevates your projects and delivers a seamless experience for your users.

Check out our blog 3 best open-source icon libraries, to explore the most recommended open source icon libraries.

How to pick a good icon library for your project

Key traits

1. Icons with consistent strokes & detail

When designing a product or platform, a single icon library is often chosen based on the brand’s attributes and used consistently throughout the design. This approach helps maintain a cohesive look and feel across the entire product, ensuring visual consistency.

Consistent strokes & detailing ( Hero icons )

2. Good variations of icon styles

Some icon libraries offer different variations of the same icon, such as outline, filled, dual-tone, and colored styles. These variations provide designers with flexibility, allowing them to tailor the design to different needs and create a more inclusive user experience.

For instance, outline icons are often used for navigation, the filled or dual-tone icons can be used to represent active states, this way users with color or partial blindness easily differentiate between states. This practice ensures that the design is both functional and accessible to a wider audience.

Using stroked and filled icons enhances state identification and ensures inclusive design for colorblind users.

3. Libraries with a good number of icons

A comprehensive icon library with a wide range of categories, including social media logos, general icons, navigation, and tool icons, enables designers to use a single library for all their icon needs. This variety is essential for creating a cohesive design while ensuring that all necessary icon types are available.

One of the good examples are the material icon library with over 2100 icons.

Icon library with a good number of icons

While many factors can contribute to defining a good icon library for a project, the characteristics mentioned above are the key traits that form the foundation of great design.

Several icon libraries embody these characteristics and offer additional features, making them ideal for various projects. Notable examples include the Material Icon Library, Hero Icons, and Feather Icons.

To explore their unique traits and understand why they rank among the most preferred options, check out our blog on 3 best open source icon libraries.

Written by – Shashwathi Rajapur

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