ContentI am playing with ideas for an OpenSearch icon. Something that can be used to visually represent OpenSearch in the same spirit of the ubiquitous oranage “feed” icons that the Mozilla Foundation created and the community has embraced.
I’d like an icon that signifies both “search” and “syndication.”
Search seems to be typically represented with a magnifying glass. And nothing says “feed’ better than the radiating waves on the bright orange background.
So here’s my attempt at an icon. Made possible in large part thanks to the vector graphics that Matt Brett put together over at Feed Icons.
Remember, this isn’t at all final.
So what do people think? Does this icon scream “search syndication”? Or is it just awkardly orange?
Honest comments only, please. No being nice just because you don’t want to hurt my feelings.
Update: Hmm. That doesn’t look quite right.
Maybe this?
If you want to play around with the theme, here is the SVG file… Please let me know when you’ve come up with something.
Update 2: Taking Alex’s good point into account, what if the icon simply represented “search”? The syndicated nature of that search could be implied by association with color and context.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:31 pm
I think it’s not differentiated enough from the feed icon, especially at smaller sizes.
Perhaps a different color would help, or a longer magnifying glass handle and smaller lens.
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:34 pm
That’s a good point about differentiation, Niall.
The second mockup I made might be different enough, though.
BTW, the relative dimensions of the magnifying glass are the exact same as the one used by Apple for Spotlight. I know that, as I painstakingly measured and reproduced them. : )
June 22nd, 2006 at 2:45 pm
Bah. You’re right. At the small sizes (16×16) it really doesn’t stand out…
June 22nd, 2006 at 3:23 pm
The best icons are the simplest. Trying to represent 2 ideas in a single icon rarely works. I’ve made this mistake in my software in the past and have learned from it. :)
Some good reading on icons:
http://www.kare.com/articles/nytimes.html
June 22nd, 2006 at 7:39 pm
Alex, good point about trying to do too much with the icon.
But how on earth did you dig up an article from 1996?! Did it just spring to mind?
July 4th, 2006 at 4:47 pm
it looks like a wifi symbol you see on airlines and hotspots today….
July 4th, 2006 at 7:15 pm
Davon, I agree. I’m leaning toward the last icon these days…
I don’t suppose you are a designer? I could certainly use one.
July 5th, 2006 at 6:50 am
This part:
really resonated with me and I think of it often when I’m talking with folks who need an icon built (or many icons built).
I’d blogged a link to the article a while back, making it easy to dig up. :)