As result of joint work of designers across departments, we're aiming to update the WikimediaUI icon set according to the identified
Wikimedia User Interface Style Guide's icons principles:
- Reduce to the essential form.
- Universal rather than culturally-specific.
- Avoid textual content within the icon.
- Abstract forms or concrete objects depending on context.
- Neutral point of view.
Visual principles:
- Monochromatic. Solid color icons.
- Geometric. Comprised of simple and ideally symmetrical geometric shapes. Symmetrical icons tend to be more universally applicable (an open book rather than a closed book with binding on left or right side).
- Front-facing. Icons are flat and front facing, not multi-dimensional.
- 20 x 20 dp default canvas. WikimediaUI icons are put on a 20 x 20 device-independent pixel (dp) canvas per default.
- Rounded corners. Corners are rounded to make shapes more friendly and welcoming. For the default canvas use 2 dp rounded corners. Note that rounded corners are applied only on the exterior of an icon shape, not interior corners.
- Medium thick stroke. Lines and outline should be visible at smaller sizes without effort, for the default icon canvas use a 2 dp thick stroke as standard. Endpoints of lines are square in keeping with simple geometric shapes.
- Diagonal cross-out lines. For icons that appear to be crossed-out, the cross-out line starts from the top-left of the icon and continues at a 45 degree angle to the bottom right (similar to a backslash “\”).
This task is meant to receive feedback on our updates to the single icons, which is best accomplished at M229 as it features revisions. The icons have gone through several design critique rounds internally. Still, we need to make sure, that we're not missing out on details and invite to early-on feedback.
In follow-up tasks and patches, we will care for the icons applications in Foundation products when the main questions are clarified.
