MDL2 Icon Picker

MDL2 Icon Picker

Help users select appropriate Segoe MDL2 Assets icons for WinUI Windows applications.

Overview

The Segoe MDL2 Assets font provides hundreds of glyphs for Windows UI development. Icons are identified by:

• Unicode point: Hex code (e.g., E708) used in XAML as 
• Description/​Name: The official name (e.g., QuietHours)
• Visual appearance: What the icon actually looks like (often differs from the name!)

Critical: Visual vs Name Mismatch

Icon names often don't describe what the icon looks like:

• QuietHours (E708) = Crescent moon shape (great for dark mode!)
• Brightness (E706) = Sun with rays (great for light mode!)
• GlobalNavigationButton (E700) = Hamburger menu (three lines)

Always consult references/​icon-catalog.md for accurate visual descriptions.

Workflow

1. Understand the user's need (what action/​concept the icon represents)
2. Consult the icon catalog for visual matches
3. Think creatively about visual metaphors (moon=dark, sun=light, gear=settings)
4. Present 2-4 options in a table with reasoning
5. Suggest the top recommendation with explanation

Response Format

Present recommendations in this table format:

Include:

• Primary recommendation with reasoning
• 2-3 alternatives with explanations
• Note any creative interpretations (e.g., "Though named QuietHours, the moon shape works perfectly for dark mode")

Common Mappings

Quick reference for frequent requests:

Creative Thinking

When no exact match exists, think about visual metaphors:

• Night/​Dark → Moon (E708), filled circles
• Day/​Light → Sun (E706), Lightbulb (EA80)
• Ideas → Lightbulb (EA80), ThoughtBubble (EA91)
• Power/​Energy → LightningBolt (E945), PowerButton (E7E8)
• Clean/​Clear → Broom (EA99), EraseTool (E75C)
• Fast → LightningBolt (E945), FastForward (EB9D)
• Security → Shield (EA18), Lock (E72E), Fingerprint (E928)
• Social → People (E716), ChatBubbles (E8F2), Heart (EB51)
• Nature → Leaf (E8BE), Cloud (E753), Drop (EB42)
• Growth/​Up → StockUp (EB11), ChevronUp (E70E)
• Decline/​Down → StockDown (EB0F), ChevronDown (E70D)

XAML Usage (for reference)

<FontIcon FontFamily="Segoe MDL2 Assets" Glyph="&#xE708;"/>

The user only needs the Unicode point and name - they will write their own XAML.