UI Icon Usability

The cluster revolves around debates on the intuitiveness, distinguishability, and design quality of icons in user interfaces, with widespread criticism of modern icons being too abstract, uniform, or meaningless.

➡️ Stable 1.2x Other
3,804
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#6031
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
1
2008
15
2009
45
2010
83
2011
165
2012
352
2013
342
2014
206
2015
159
2016
149
2017
197
2018
147
2019
171
2020
271
2021
201
2022
242
2023
273
2024
174
2025
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2026
167

Keywords

UX HN OP NES WTF PC USA E.g UI icons icon graphic app design visual intuitive shape floppy lock

Sample Comments

GoblinSlayer Apr 9, 2019 View on HN

Well, icons are not intuitive anyway, so it probably doesn't make difference :)

pasquinelli May 12, 2017 View on HN

it also shows that an icon has to be iconic to work. play, fast forward and rewind, the camera and the calculator, i knew. airplane mode, wifi and bluetooth, i knew but could easily imagine people confused by. the crescent moon, the lock with the arrow around it, the flashlight and the dial i honestly didn't know, and would've had to tap them to try to figure out what they did.you can't just make any picture iconic, it's not something an app can force.

Idk__Throwaway Jan 23, 2023 View on HN

Maybe I'm just a weirdo but those icons seem perfectly intuitive to me.

pasquinelli Aug 26, 2025 View on HN

that is unfortunate. icons having a variety of silhouettes makes it easier to identify them and gives things a little personality.

veltas Feb 23, 2025 View on HN

A good picture, unfortunately most modern apps are full of meaningless icons.

jes5199 Mar 20, 2012 View on HN

finally! Those icons are indistinct and basically meaningless.

hnha Sep 15, 2013 View on HN

weird design with icons instead of text which is a turnoff for me.

gruez Dec 10, 2015 View on HN

I don't like it. The icons are way to abstract compared to the old ones.

kcb Apr 21, 2024 View on HN

I can never tell which icon is which.

slmjkdbtl Dec 9, 2021 View on HN

I like how they just use random icons for each app on the page