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Thinking in Icons: Designing and Creating Effective Visual Symbols Paperback – October 17, 2017

4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

Icons shape the way we see the world around us in business, communication, entertainment, and much more. Now is your chance to learn to speak the textless language of icons with Thinking in Icons.

From the most refined corporate visual systems to the ubiquitous emoji,
icons have become an international language of symbols as well as a way to make a wholly unique statement. Without even realizing it, billions of people interpret the language of icons each day, this is the designer’s guide to creating the next great statement.

In
Thinking in Icons, artist and designer Felix Sockwell--logo developer for Appleand other high-profile companies, as well as GUI creator for the New York Times app--takes you through the process of creating an effective icon. You will cover many styles and visual approaches to this deceptively complex art.

Sockwell also offers examples of his collaborations with Stefan Sagmeister, Debbie Millman, and other luminary designers.
Thinking in Icons also features the work Sockwell has done with an impressive roster of blue-chip international brands, including Facebook, Google, Hasbro, Sony and Yahoo.

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Felix Sockwell is an artist, graphic designer, and art director who specializes in the creation of logos, icons and icon systems, murals, and animations. He has worked with many high-profile brands to develop logos and icon systems, and developed the GUI (graphic user interface) for the New York Times iPhone app. He lives in Maplewood, New Jersey. See more of his work at www.felixsockwell.com.

Emily J. Potts has been a writer and editor in the design industry for more than 25 years. In that time she has managed a slew of publications, people, and events. Currently she is an independent writer, editor, and consultant working for a variety of clients in and out of the design industry. She nearly killed Felix during the making of this book. She lives in Peoria, Illinois. www.emilyjpotts.com 

Steven Heller was an art director at the New York Times for 33 years, originally on the OpEd Page, and for almost 30 of those years with the New York Times Book Review. Currently, he is co-chair of the MFA Designer as Author Department, Special Consultant to the President of SVA for New Programs, and writes the Visuals column for the New York Times Book Review. He was the recipient of the Smithsonian Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum's 2011 Design Mind Award. He writes frequently for Metropolis and other design magazines, and is author, co-author, and editor of over 100 books on design and popular culture. He also writes The Daily Heller blog (imprint.printmag.com/daily-heller). He lives in New York City. Visit him online at www.hellerbooks.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Rockport Publishers (October 17, 2017)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 160 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1631593145
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1631593147
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.5 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.63 x 0.5 x 10 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 29 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
29 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on November 29, 2019
Love this book, and thrilled to have it on my shelf so that I can take it down and re-read and browse for inspiration. Felix Sockwell is a genius, and getting a glimpse into his creative process is a joy. The work itself, the design of the book and layout, the prose--all superior.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2018
This book is a great dive into the process and thinking when creating icons and icon systems. Felix Sockwell is one of the best and shows off his creativity and ability to endlessly iterate to find the ideal solutions for clients. I appreciate his fresh perspective on work that does and doesn't get chosen, and self-deprecating sense of humor.

I also felt the guiding writing and editorial hand of Emily Potts in this book as well, and makes it a real recommendation for designers wanting to be refreshed about the discipline and young designers trying to understand what the boundaries are and how to break them. Recommended.

(Side note: I got the chance to hear Felix talk about his work in the book in Chicago, which really fleshed out the book for me even more.)
One person found this helpful
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Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2017
Icons are everywhere around us and I enjoy and appreciate the functionality and look of well designed icons. When I saw the title of this book, I was expecting to be presented with a few good examples of Icons that have been implemented all over the world. I wanted to learn what design characteristics exactly set those successful icons apart from less successful ones. Instead, I was presented with pages and pages of sketches that were made in the brainstorming part of the design process for specific icons which did not always find approval by the customers.This book was not for me. About one third through the book I lost interest and I stopped reading.
I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2019
Love seeing inside Sockwell's creative process. Beautifully designed.
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