How to Create Vector Science Toolbar Icons in FigmaCreating vector science toolbar icons in Figma lets you produce crisp, scalable visuals that look great across UI sizes and platforms. This guide walks you step‑by‑step from concept to final export, with practical tips for designing icons that are clear, consistent, and usable in scientific and educational apps.
Why vector icons and why Figma?
- Vectors scale cleanly at any resolution, crucial for toolbar icons that appear at small sizes (16–24 px) and larger contexts (48–128 px).
- Figma is collaborative, cloud‑based, and supports components, auto layout, boolean operations, and export presets — all helpful for icon systems.
- Consistency and efficiency: building icons as components and using shared styles speeds development and keeps a coherent UI.
Planning and research
- Purpose and context
- Identify where the icons will appear (toolbar, sidebar, mobile app) and at what sizes. Icons for toolbars are typically small—plan for clarity at 16–24 px.
- Define the visual language
- Decide stroke vs. filled style, corner radii, aperture for counters (open space in symbols), and whether to use rounded or sharp terminals. Keep the visual language consistent across the set.
- Reference and inspiration
- Collect examples from scientific apps, icon libraries (Material, Fluent, Feather) and real lab tools: microscopes, flasks, pipettes, beakers, atoms, DNA strands, test tubes, charts. Save references in a Figma file/page.
Setting up your Figma file
- Create an Icons page and a frame for each size (16, 24, 32 px) to test scalability.
- Set up a 24 px icon grid as a baseline: create a 24×24 frame with a 2 px grid (or 8 px layout grid divided) to help alignment.
- Create styles: a Stroke style (e.g., 1.5 px at 24 px baseline), and color styles for primary and secondary states. Use fills sparingly for single-color toolbar icons.
Grids, pixel snapping, and stroke strategy
- Use integer pixel alignment to avoid blurry rendering. In Figma, enable “Pixel Grid” and “Snap to Pixel Grid.”
- Define a baseline stroke width at your main target size (commonly 1.5 px at 24 px). For 16 px icons, scale stroke to around 1 px; for 32 px, 2 px. Keep relative stroke weight consistent across sizes.
- Prefer strokes over fills for symbolic tools (microscope outline, atom). Use simple fills for solid glyphs if needed.
Designing an icon: step-by-step (example: test tube)
- Start with a simple silhouette
- Draw a 24×24 frame. Use basic shapes: rectangles with rounded corners for the tube body, an ellipse for the open top, and a smaller rectangle for the liquid.
- Use boolean operations
- Combine shapes with Union, Subtract, and Intersect to form the precise silhouette.
- Refine with strokes and corners
- Convert shapes to outlines when you need precise control. Adjust corner radii so the thickness looks natural at the target size.
- Add details sparingly
- For a toolbar icon, reduce visual noise. A single diagonal line showing liquid level and a small highlight are usually enough. Avoid tiny decorative curls that vanish at 16 px.
- Test at multiple sizes
- Scale the 24 px icon down to 16 px and check legibility. Simplify if necessary—remove small highlights or reduce interior lines.
Building an atom icon: tips for geometric consistency
- Use concentric circles for electron orbits and small circles for electrons. Snap centers to the same point for symmetry.
- Limit orbit count to two or three—more orbits add clutter.
- Use even stroke widths and consistent spacing between orbits. If filled circles are used for electrons, ensure their diameter remains above 2–3 px at small icon sizes.
Creating components and variants
- Make each icon a Component for reuse. Name components clearly (icon/test-tube/24).
- Create Variants for state or size: default, hover, active, disabled; 16, 24, 32 px. Use variant properties like size and state.
- Build an Icon Set frame with all components, and document stroke widths and spacing in a side panel or a simple Figma note.
Accessibility and semantics
- Provide clear, distinguishable shapes — avoid relying solely on color to convey meaning.
- Keep symbols simple and recognizable; test with users when possible.
- Include alt text or a text label in the UI implementation separate from the icon asset.
Exporting assets
- Export settings
- Export SVG for vector use in apps and PDFs. For raster needs, export PNG at 1x, 2x, and 3x.
- For SVG: optimize by removing unnecessary metadata and flattening transforms when possible. Figma’s default SVG export is usually fine; run an SVG optimizer (SVGO) in your build pipeline if available.
- Naming conventions
- Use clear names: icon-test-tube_24.svg, [email protected].
- Provide a sprite or icon font if the development team prefers; otherwise hand off individual SVGs.
Advanced tips
- Use strokes with “Outline stroke” conversion when you need precise control over joints and caps in exported SVGs. Be aware this turns strokes into fills and increases path complexity.
- Create an automated plugin workflow (e.g., Figma Tokens, Icon Resizer) to batch-generate sizes and exports.
- Keep an icon changelog and versioning for collaborative teams.
Common pitfalls and how to avoid them
- Over-detailing: If a detail disappears at 16 px, remove it.
- Inconsistent stroke weights: Define a stroke scale and apply it across sizes.
- Misaligned centers: Use the same center points for icons that need consistent optical balance (atoms, gears, circles).
Example icon set (recommended core icons for science toolbars)
- Microscope, Test Tube, Beaker, Pipette, Atom, DNA, Thermometer, Chart, Magnifying Glass, Settings (gear)
Quick workflow checklist
- Research & sketch concepts.
- Set up grids and stroke styles in Figma.
- Create icons at 24 px baseline.
- Test and simplify at 16 px.
- Make components and variants.
- Export SVG + PNG, optimize.
- Deliver documentation and naming conventions.
If you want, I can: provide Figma-ready SVG code for a specific icon (e.g., test tube or microscope), create component naming conventions tailored to your project, or create a 10‑icon starter set in SVG ready to import. Which would you prefer?
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