Icon development...
Out of context: Reply #11
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- ninjasavant0
You're right in that the process can be tricky and involves psychology, art, and sorcery. For example, one of the more difficult icon assigments I had included this gem:
When the user selects a document or set of documents and clicks the button the following happens: the selected documents aggregated criteria are created as a rule and applied to the selected documents. A search is then done to display all results that fit the newly created rule. Icon needs to be 16x16.
That was for a product with 50 or so icons so we could create a language in the context of the product that would enhance learning over time. As for your project it seems you have a simpler set of tasks while each item may not be simple within itself. The most important thing I can suggest is to avoid overcomplicating at all costs.
Take the concept and try to break it down to its base themes and see what imagery comes to mind. Check out examples from places like the ones linked above and iconfactory.com to see if there are common approaches to the metaphors and themes you are working with.
Make sure the style you choose is consistent with the overall design as well. Let me know if you have any further questions.