6

I had this question popping out while viewing some ISO standards such as ISO 9142.

I searched a little but couldn't find an explicit ISO standard that is specifically for Computer Icons.

So, has one such standard been published? or a similar recognized one?.

Improve this question
1
  • It would be nice to leverage others' learned recognition in my diagrams rather than searching for obscure clipart each time.
    – Sridhar Sarnobat
    May 6, 2022 at 3:15

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
5

ISO's technical committee TC 145 is responsible for graphical symbols:

Standardization in the field of graphical symbols as well as of colours and shapes, whenever these elements form part of the message that a symbol is intended to convey, e.g. a safety sign.

You can find a list of related ISO standards and those under their direct responsibility.

If the icons contain text, have a look at W3C's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), where you can find guidelines how to make the images accessible (contrast).

Improve this answer
1
  • 1
    You can browse them at iso.org/obp/ui/#home and tick 'Graphical symbols'. You have to enter a search term, but if you just want to browse by category, terms like 'for' and 'to' match most of them...
    – user56reinstatemonica8
    Mar 14, 2013 at 16:57
2

I don't think there is an ISO rule for icons, but there definitely are some 'standards' for Desktop applications.

Size-wise, Windows .ico icons range from 16x16 to 48x48 (pre-Vista), up to 256x256 (post-Vista). Mac OS X .icns icons go from 16x16 up to 512x512. Favicons for web have to be 16x16.

There are some naming agreements as well, they have to be composed of US-ASCII characters, and the dash “-” is used to separate levels of specificity (edit-copy, edit-cut, edit-paste).

But I think every program has its own conventions. For example, Symantec follows this one. While some of them are more or less common ground ("Color icons indicate objects that are in a healthy, running condition. Gray icons indicate objects that are offline."), specific functionalities follow their own internal rules.

Improve this answer
6
  • Depending on the platform for which the icons are to be used are the standards or guidelines that one should follow right?.
    – Uri Herrera
    Mar 12, 2013 at 22:12
  • @UriHerrera Yes, most likely. What are you designing for?
    – Yisela
    Mar 12, 2013 at 22:19
  • Well, actually it's for my own OS project for which I'm doing the Guidelines but I wondered if besides those if there was an International standard in place.
    – Uri Herrera
    Mar 12, 2013 at 22:36
  • Not that I know of. I just came across these open icon packages, if you don't have your icons already they might be of help.
    – Yisela
    Mar 12, 2013 at 22:44
  • Actually I've finished them but sort of like wanted to have them certified just as the rest of the UI this OS will end up using because as I understand for UIs there are various standards currently published.
    – Uri Herrera
    Mar 12, 2013 at 22:51

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.