As previously discussed, I think it would be a good idea to come up with a generic “social bookmarking”/”sharing” icon for use with things like my Share This plugin.
I’ve come up with a rough concept icon:
It’s in the same vein as the feed icon as Chris discussed.
The connected dots represent information/data/ideas passing from one originating place to others. The green color is used to reinforce the “go”ing nature of the interaction.
It’s obviously rough, and just a first concept so hopefully we can discuss it as a concept rather than picking at the problems in the details1.
The comments are open.
UPDATE: Here is a version that will shrink to a small icon size better:
Please continue to post your own contributions (links to images, etc.) in the comments - but remember to test them at 12×12 pixels and 16×16 pixels as well. Use the feed icons package as an example.
UPDATE: Concept #2 posted.
- The connected circles on the interior probably need to be a bit larger/bolder to work at a small size, etc. [back]
Popularity: 11% [?]
Patrick Havens adds this Comment:
I like the idea, but I agree it’ll need tweaking. Perhaps having it spit 3 different ways? currently it just feels… like “Y.” But that may be the feeling to go with.and move the whole close to the edge (make bigger) so that it enlarges and shrinks better.
December 4th, 2006 at 4:59 pm
Gregory Pittman adds this Comment:
Alex, I like the icon. The concept is clear and the presentation grabs attention. I don’t see much that needs to be changed.
December 4th, 2006 at 5:05 pm
Beth adds this Comment:
I like the icon- I agree maybe black or a darker green border around the inside of the “Y”.
December 4th, 2006 at 5:53 pm
ituloy angsulong adds this Comment:
The icon is OK. No changes needed
December 4th, 2006 at 5:55 pm
c adds this Comment:
I’d definitely be concerned about how that displays at a small size. At 16 x 16 it looks more like a left-pointing arrow, I fear. Perhaps the addition of another child node, with the connections of differing lengths and angles?
Sharing might be better-represented as a more radial relationship, but then again, scale’s gonna be tricky. Good luck!
December 4th, 2006 at 6:00 pm
Geof F. Morris adds this Comment:
I’d be curious to see it at a range of sizes, but I like the first cut a lot, guy.
December 4th, 2006 at 6:02 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Hopefully a
real 
icon artist will take the ball from here and run with it (polished version or derivative). Creating versions of an icon at different sizes is a special skill.
December 4th, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Laundro adds this Comment:
Excellent! I like it. Simple and to the point. go for it!
December 4th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
bear adds this Comment:
Don’t mean to be a wet blanket, but … it kinda reminds me of the PlanetRDF.com favicon (I’m sure the icon is used in other places but that’s where I see it every day)
December 4th, 2006 at 8:33 pm
Joefish adds this Comment:
Ooh, nice! I like it.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:47 pm
Scribez adds this Comment:
looks good to me. Though you didn’t have to watermark it.
December 4th, 2006 at 8:51 pm
Beth adds this Comment:
I don’t blame him for adding the watermark- it’s his concept and design.
December 4th, 2006 at 10:02 pm
Brett adds this Comment:
Watermark OK, but copyright? I’d consider CC instead - especially if your aim is modification by other artists and adoption by the outside world.
Yes, I just had to be that anti-copyright guy.
December 4th, 2006 at 11:40 pm
Patrick Havens adds this Comment:
This is more what I was thinking. Roughly same idea… but triple.
[img]http://www.litwc.com/gallery/albums/ShareThis/128.png[/img]
[img]http://www.litwc.com/gallery/albums/ShareThis/16.png[/img]
[url]http://www.litwc.com/gallery/albums/ShareThis/Share%20This.ai[/url]
Alex. Check that same folder that I had posted samples before if the links get lost again.
128, 64, 32, 16 + ai
it kept getting noted as spam.
December 4th, 2006 at 11:51 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Brett - copyright is not a license. Please learn a little about about licensing and copyright before you chime in with criticism.
Partick - I think there is too much going on in there - just my $.02.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:58 am
raj adds this Comment:
I like the icon. It may look even better in black. At small resolution, it looks like an arrow
December 5th, 2006 at 2:17 am
Feir adds this Comment:
Nice icon. Like it and its description.
December 5th, 2006 at 3:30 am
Wayne Sutton adds this Comment:
Hey it’s great, I’m going to add it to my blog beside the share this plugin text
December 5th, 2006 at 7:52 am
Zack adds this Comment:
Looks a lot like the icon I created for my ‘Application Monitor’ software.
You can see it here - http://www.websiteme[...]/prod_am.htm
I used 3 dimensional spheres with shadows. That might give you some ideas.
December 5th, 2006 at 8:21 am
Brett adds this Comment:
You’re absolutely right, Alex re: copyright. I’m not sure what I was thinking last night. Apologies.
December 5th, 2006 at 9:50 am
Alex adds this Comment:
No worries Brett - any final design will certainly be liberally licensed (probably dual or tri-licensed under GPL, CC, etc.).
December 5th, 2006 at 10:20 am
tyler adds this Comment:
I like! Concept #1 is much better than #2. Concept #2 is big-boned.
December 5th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Bob adds this Comment:
Well, you’ve given me an excuse to mess with Illustrator.
What about arrows? The circles are cool but it’s a little abstract for me.
Here’s an idea I was futzing with this afternoon:
http://lonesysadmin.[...]-this-icons/
December 5th, 2006 at 4:25 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Looks nice. I kept my root node in the middle rather than the bottom left was to avoid having the icon “grow” in the same direction that the feed icon does.
One of the reasons I didn’t choose blue was that the OPML icon project is already using blue.
http://www.opmlicons.com/
December 5th, 2006 at 4:30 pm
Bob adds this Comment:
I don’t see your concept of the star yet. I just added another one, a star with a hole in it. I dunno, just riffing on the idea of simple geometric designs. The star is simple, easy to see at small sizes, and isn’t taken by OPML or RSS.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:20 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Concept #2 posted.
December 5th, 2006 at 6:54 pm
Nick adds this Comment:
My quick and dirty concept.
December 5th, 2006 at 10:17 pm
Chris adds this Comment:
I like it! Keep up the great work!
Chris
December 6th, 2006 at 5:38 pm
Brett adds this Comment:
When Concept #1 is used in context in the smaller size, it looks a lot like , it makes a fair amount of sense in terms of the concept you’re using.
December 7th, 2006 at 11:40 am
tom adds this Comment:
concept #1
the three connected dots look excellent. especially in the way that they are lying on their side and in a way pointing to the left.
with the two feet to the right it is very much reminiscent of a fork and suggesting connection.
like it.
December 9th, 2006 at 2:57 pm
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June 5th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
asadsaf adds this Comment:
The star is really ugly. Don’t start using random ugly icons.
I like the first one. Neat and it is similar to the rest. And I’m already using it on my blog.
August 13th, 2007 at 1:06 pm