Font icons are frequently used in buttons to provide visual cues, improve usability, and enhance the overall user experience. Common applications include navigation menus, form submissions, and action prompts like “edit,” “delete,” or “share.”
Today, you clicked on a small icon that you did not even notice. There is no escape, whether it's a magnifying glass for searching, a paper plane for sending, or a shopping cart for buying; these visual indicators are everywhere (font icons).
They are in buttons on many pages, browsers, and apps, and lead the user through the process without being noticed.
How to find these icons, and why are they relevant?
People create font icons as symbols placed on web pages using fonts, similar to letters. Instead of being image files, they're scalable vector graphics that can be resized and styled using CSS.
They are easy to fetch, fast and readable. They mean without saying, providing a quick communication way, just what we want to say when time is short or when using a limited space in a button.
Places where Font Icons are Used
Navigation Menus
Icons are significant parts of the web and mobile navigation. A hamburger icon typically opens menus, while arrows signify back and forward actions.
They are such that are seen in places like Google Drive, helping in the recognition of folders, be it the Trash or Shared panel. They eliminate the need to use the complete labels, especially in mobile layouts.
Contact Buttons and Forms
The call-to-action or submit button in contact forms or support sections often features icons, such as a phone, an envelope, and even a chat bubble. This will help the user easily start calls, messages, or emails, even without reading the words.
E-Commerce Actions
In online retail stores, Amazon, for instance, has icons on buttons for actions such as Add Cart, Wishlist, and Checkout. On mobile devices, the icon appears without text. The symbol solely suffices to guide the user.
Long-term clutter is limited and interactions are faster.
CMS Panels and Admin Dashboards
On WordPress and other content management systems, there are buttons to edit, delete, and upload. These buttons usually include images of a pencil, a trash bin, or a cloud.
This guides the user to pass through actions faster without the need to read the interface over and over.
Why Font Actions work Well
There are three aspects in which font icons enhance design:
Instant Recognition
A gear signifies settings for a menu. A trash bin tells you to delete an item. These universally accepted symbols make it easier to navigate a website.
Space Efficiency
People frequently discard text in favor of icons.
Improved Cross-Device UX
We augment touch targets with icons to support user navigation, regardless of literacy levels or language.
Who Uses Them with Success?
- Amazon: It includes cart and filter icons to enable quick browsing on the phone.
- Google: Uses icons in Gmail and Docs to be understood and fast.
- LinkedIn: Icons act as commanders of the buttons on mobile applications, and they make the operation easy.
- Twitter: All icon-based, likes, replies, and retweets.
Use these font icon libraries:
Design with:
Font Awesome - A large set of free and paid icons.
Bootstrap Icons - Optimized and lightweight icons configured to use on the web.
Google created Material Icons with its mobile-first approach in mind.
In these libraries, you will comfortably add icons in HTML and CSS. Even a couple of lines of code are enough to make your site feel more professional and self-explanatory.
Now that you are familiar with font icons, apply font icon libraries to your current project by reading this: Add Icon Libraries to HTML Buttons
Final Words
Figuratively speaking, font icons are both tiny and powerful. They assist web users to work faster, easily and confidently.
Whether you're building a simple contact form or a complex dashboard, using icons inside buttons can elevate both your design and user-experience.