Discovering Elegance and Clarity: The Picons Thin Icon Collection

In the ever-evolving world of digital design, icons have emerged as essential components that enhance the user experience and add visual appeal to various interfaces. Finding the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality can be a challenging task for designers. Fortunately, Picons, offers an exceptional solution with its Thin Icon Collection.

Embracing Minimalism

Minimalism is a design philosophy that has gained immense popularity due to its clean, uncluttered and ultra-consistent approach. The Thin icon collection perfectly embodies this philosophy with its sleek and refined icons. By removing unnecessary details, these icons communicate concepts with utmost clarity, making them ideal for modern interfaces where simplicity is key.

The icons strike the perfect balance between visual appeal and functionality. These icons not only look elegant but also serve their purpose effectively, allowing users to intuitively understand their meaning and purpose.

A Comprehensive Library

Picons’ Thin Icon Collection offers an extensive library of icons that cover a wide range of categories. From business and technology to lifestyle and travel, designers can find suitable icons for virtually any design project. The collection ensures that designers have access to versatile, high-quality icons that seamlessly integrate into various digital products, including websites, web apps, and mobile apps.

Scalable Vector Icons

One of the standout features of the Picons.me icons in general is that each icon is available as a scalable vector graphic (SVG). Scalable vector icons ensure that designers can use them across your personal graphic software (Figma, Photoshop, Illustrator, Sketch…) and various screen resolutions without losing image quality. This flexibility is crucial in responsive design, where icons need to adapt to different devices and sizes.

Additionally, the vector format enables designers to customize icons to match their project’s color scheme and design language, ensuring a harmonious and consistent visual experience.

Perfect for Modern UI/UX Design

User interfaces today demand a delicate blend of aesthetics and functionality. The Picons.me icons are tailor-made for modern UI/UX design, offering icons that resonate with contemporary design trends. Their understated elegance and precision make them a preferred choice for designers seeking a minimalist, yet impactful, visual language.

The Picons Thin Icon Collection stands as a testament to the power of simplicity in design. With its minimalist approach, comprehensive library, and vector scalability, these icons elevate design projects to new heights of elegance and clarity. Picons.me continues to be a reliable resource for designers seeking high-quality icons that strike the perfect balance between aesthetics and functionality.

The significance of icons in graphic user interfaces (GUIs) and user experience (UX)

In the realm of digital design, icons play a vital role in enhancing the user experience of websites, web apps, and mobile apps. They are small visual representations that communicate meaning, simplify navigation, and add aesthetic appeal. Icons have become an integral part of modern interfaces, and their careful selection and implementation contribute to the overall usability and engagement of digital products. One prominent source of high-quality icons can be Picons.me, which offers a diverse range of icons to elevate user experiences.

Enhancing Visual Communication
Icons serve as a powerful visual language that transcends linguistic barriers. They allow designers to communicate ideas and concepts quickly and efficiently. By utilizing universally recognized symbols, icons aid in conveying information at a glance. Users can instantly understand the purpose and functionality associated with an icon, leading to a smoother and more intuitive user experience.

Picons is an extensive collection of icons, covering various categories such as technology, business, finance, and more. With their well-crafted and visually appealing icons, we provide designers with the tools to effectively communicate ideas, making interactions more intuitive and engaging.

Streamlining Navigation and Usability
Icons act as visual signposts, guiding users through interfaces and simplifying complex interactions. By representing actions, features, and functionalities through icons, designers reduce cognitive load and create a more user-friendly experience. Well-designed icons can replace lengthy text labels, conserving valuable screen space and promoting a cleaner, streamlined interface.

Our icon library offers a wide selection of icons suitable for different purposes. Whether it’s a mobile app, website, or web app, designers can find icons that align with their design aesthetics and enhance the usability of their digital products. All the icons are designed with clarity and simplicity in mind, ensuring seamless navigation and efficient user interactions.

Aesthetics and Brand Consistency
Icons play a significant role in defining the visual identity of a digital product. They contribute to the overall aesthetics and brand consistency, making an interface visually appealing and recognizable. Consistent iconography across a website, web app, or mobile app creates a cohesive and memorable user experience, reinforcing the brand’s image in the user’s mind.

We have a wide range of customizable icons, allowing designers to match the iconography with their brand’s style and personality. By incorporating icons into their designs, designers can achieve a cohesive visual language that aligns with their brand guidelines, enhancing recognition and fostering a stronger connection with users.


Icons are an essential element of graphic user interfaces, playing a crucial role in enhancing user experiences. Their ability to convey meaning, streamline navigation, and contribute to aesthetics and brand consistency makes them indispensable in modern design practices. Picons stands out as a valuable resource, providing designers with a diverse selection of high-quality icons to elevate their designs. By leveraging the power of icons, designers can create intuitive, visually appealing interfaces that leave a lasting impression on users.

Custom Icon System for Sephora

The friendly people at Sephora reached out to craft some custom icons. Sephora is the leader in personal care and beauty products retail, with 2,700 physical stores in 35 countries worldwide.

Picture courtesy of Sephora

We started with tap bar navigation icons for the mobile app…

Sephora custom icons by Picons

and experimented with mobile app icons and other graphics.

Sephora custom icons by Picons

The collaboration has been very successful and over the last 2 years, we created a comprehensive icon system for their online presence.

With more than 200 icons (and counting), the new icon system quickly became a valuable corporate asset.

Sephora custom icons by Picons

We took a super sleek and simple solution for the icon system – outlined icons, consistent line weight and curved edges. The icons reflect a friendly visual voice, just like Sephora, and the Picons Thin icon collection.

You can find the icons across the Sephora website.

New icons for the ‘Picons Thin’ icon collection

Although very slow progress on the new icons, Picons is still alive with some fresh icons.

I’m working on two new sets: 1/ the third edition of Picons Thin with additional icons and 2/ a new and completely redesigned Picons Basic icon set. It’s been 11 years (!) since I created my first icons and I’ve learned a lot in the past years. I guess it’s time to finally make a new comprehensive set (new metaphors and consistent icon grid).

But, let’s talk about the next release of Picons Thin first. Picons Thin is a well known and popular icon set, using just consistent thin lines (1 pixel on a 24-pixel grid). This outlined icon style was introduced in 2013, right after Apple showed off the new iOS 7 together with some fresh icons that were thin and just outlined. The new style took over ridiculously fast and found its way into all popular desktop apps and websites.

Until the new Thin edition is completed, you can already see and use some new icons. For now they are only available via Iconfinder.


GDPR Data Privacy Icons

GDPR Data Privacy

11 icons – Download

This icon set covers the following symbols & metaphors: GDPR, law, rules, privacy, data storage, personal data, secure data, privacy agreement, consent, law agreements.


Smart Home Automation icons

Smart Home Automation (40 icons)

40 icons – Download

This icon set covers the following symbols & metaphors: lights, ceiling lights, lightbulb, front door, garage door, window covering, keypad, fingerprint, door lock, security system, heating, cooling, climate, air conditioning, fan, ventilation, solar power, volume, temperature, speakers, video cameras, technician, leaving/coming home, sprinkler, watering socket.


Electronic parts icons

Electronic parts & Components

15 icons – Download

This icon set covers the following symbols & metaphors: Arduino, MCU, board, speaker, lab, measurement, wave, robot, diode, development, flashing, esp, chip, microchip, power, button, module, dinamo, motor, oscilloscope, sensor, battery, wi-fi, RFID antenna.


Animals, Farming, Cattle icons

Animals, Farming, Cattle

15 icons – Download

This icon set covers the following symbols & metaphors: horse, cow, cattle, sheep, goat, dog, cat, farmer, tractor, DNA genetics, cattle auction, animal transport, butcher.


Coronavirus pandemic icons

Coronavirus pandemic

20 icons – Download

This icon set covers the following symbols & metaphors: coronavirus, virus, avoid handshakes, avoid gatherings, face mask (male, female), sanitizer, disinfection, hand disposer, clean hands, washing hands, vaccine, test, lab results (positive, negative), keep distance (1 m), fever, high temperature, cough, temperature test.

The New Etihad Airways Icon System by Picons

Beside crafting new stock icons and custom add-on icons compatible to existing Picons icon collections, such as Basic & Thin, I also design individual icon systems adapting to the client’s brand.

Few years ago, I had the opportunity to create a brand-new icon system for Etihad Airways. For those not familiar with, Etihad Airways is the national airline of the United Arab Emirates with its home in Abu Dhabi.

This was a great challenge and pleasure for me, not just because I was tasked to design 200+ custom icons, but because I could craft a unique icon system for a global audience. Designing airline/airport icons might just be the dream of every (icon) designer out there.

At the end, and over a period of 3 years, we did create more than 400 icons.

I. Feeling the Brand

Designing an individual icon system starts with learning the client’s brief and brand guidelines. The icons, as a part of the corporate identity, play an important role in presenting a consistent image of a powerful and successful brand.

A central role in Etihad’s identity plays the Facets of Abu Dhabi.

The Facet exists in the Etihad wordmark and is drawn from the traditional Islamic design and modern Arabian architecture producing an effect that is precise and aesthetically pleasing. This pattern is found to appear consistently across our home Abu Dhabi as an architectural feature and design pattern, thus subtly adding to a seamless experience.

From the Etihad Brand Guidelines, 2016

II. Exploring the Icon Style

We tried 3 different design approaches, to figure out which one would work the best: outline, glyph and a combination of both.

Style A: Thin outline icon style (consistent stroke weight, round & miter joins combo)
Style B: Glyph icon style with triangular “negative space”
Style C: Outlines (2 stroke weights) + filled shapes combo

The client chose to go on with outlines. The final icon style has adopted the combination of rounded and sharp corners. All icons share the line strength of 1 pixel. And there is the golden facet.

The Facet
When creating an individual icon system for a brand, you just need to implement something unique into them. Icons need to be obvious, that’s why great icons are using well-known metaphors. Although when speaking of the icon style, we don’t want icons to look too generic or special, just for the sake of being special. That’s where the Facet plays an important role. 

Final icon style

Each icon in the system includes a little golden Facet. It is connecting the icons to the brand and let the icons stand out from your everyday stock icons.

III. Defining an Icon System

The Construction
On of the first tasks, after figuring out the icon style, is defining a grid. It is important that the icons sit on the pixel so they are always crisp and sharp (pixel-perfect).

Although pixel-perfect plays no role in print and when used on retina displays, it’s still considered as the best practice for crafting large icon systems.

IV. Showcases

Disclaimer: Images courtesy of Etihad Airways