Icon Design

Icon Design

Select the right icon for the job. Maps concepts to icons, provides templates, prevents common mistakes.

Quick Reference (Top 20 Concepts)

Library Selection

Default recommendation: Lucide (1,400+ icons, excellent React integration)

See references/​library-comparison.md for detailed comparison.

Icon Style Rules

Sizing

Consistency Rules

1. Never mix styles - Use all outline OR all solid in a section
2. Never use emoji - Use proper icon components (tree-shakeable)
3. Use currentColor - Icons inherit text color via stroke="currentColor"
4. Semantic colours - Use text-primary, not text-blue-500

Tree-Shaking (Critical)

Dynamic icon selection breaks tree-shaking. Use explicit maps:

// BAD - all icons bundled
import * as Icons from 'lucide-react'
const Icon = Icons[iconName]  // Tree-shaken away!

// GOOD - explicit map
import { Home, Users, Settings, type LucideIcon } from 'lucide-react'
const ICON_MAP: Record<string, LucideIcon> = { Home, Users, Settings }
const Icon = ICON_MAP[iconName]

Selection Process

1. Identify the concept - What does the label/​title communicate?
2. Check semantic mapping - See references/​semantic-mapping.md
3. Choose library - Lucide (default), Heroicons (Tailwind), Phosphor (weights)
4. Apply template - See references/​icon-templates.md
5. Verify consistency - Same style, same size in section

Decision Tree

When unsure which icon:

Is it about recognition/​awards? → Trophy, Star, Award
Is it about money/​price? → Tag, DollarSign, CreditCard
Is it about location? → MapPin, Globe, Map
Is it about people/​team? → Users, UserGroup, User
Is it about communication? → MessageCircle, Phone, Mail
Is it about safety/​trust? → Shield, Lock, ShieldCheck
Is it about speed/​time? → Zap, Clock, Timer
Is it trade-specific? → Check semantic-mapping.md
Still unsure? → CheckCircle (generic positive) or Sparkles (generic feature)

Resources

• references/​semantic-mapping.md - Full concept→icon tables by category
• references/​icon-templates.md - React/​HTML patterns with Tailwind
• references/​library-comparison.md - Lucide vs Heroicons vs Phosphor
• references/​migration-guide.md - FA/​Material → modern equivalents
• rules/​icon-design.md - Correction rules for projects