In an era where visual identity is crucial for branding, a leading travel agency decided to elevate its logo design with custom icons that not only resonated with their brand story but also upheld the highest graphic standards. Instead of settling for generic graphics or rasterized images, they opted for a pixel-perfect, vector-based workflow that would ensure maximum versatility and scalability for any medium — from smartphone apps to billboards.
TL;DR: This article explores how a travel agency successfully designed custom icons for its new logo using a vector workflow. It details the rationale behind choosing vector graphics, explains how the design process unfolded step-by-step, and underscores the importance of scalability for branding. By following a structured workflow, the agency ensured their logos maintained visual integrity across all formats and platforms.
Understanding the Need for Custom Icons
Off-the-shelf icon sets failed to communicate the unique values and personality embedded in the travel agency’s brand. From curating once-in-a-lifetime trips to promoting eco-tourism, the agency sought to reflect these attributes in every part of its visual identity.
They aimed to achieve the following through custom icon design:
- Uniqueness: Separate themselves from competitors using generic icons.
- Brand storytelling: Use symbolic elements to reflect core values and services.
- Scalability: Ensure that icons look sharp on all devices and sizes.
- Cohesiveness: Maintain a uniform visual language across platforms.
Kickstarting the Design Process
The journey began with an internal brand audit. The team analyzed their service pillars: adventure, relaxation, culture, and sustainability. Each would be represented by a custom icon integrated into the main logo. A focused brainstorming session generated initial concepts, which were then sketched on paper to test visual viability before moving to the digital realm.
The design team comprised a brand manager, a UI designer, and a freelance illustrator with a background in iconography. Instead of diving straight into Illustrator or another vector tool, they opted for preliminary drafts using a digital drawing tablet to fine-tune proportions and typographic alignment.
Vector Workflow: Tools and Techniques
Maintaining fidelity across formats demanded a vector-based workflow. Here’s how the team ensured precision and scalability:
1. Choosing the Right Software
The team used Adobe Illustrator and Figma for various stages of the project. Illustrator was the primary software for path creation, Bezier curve adjustments, and managing anchor points with mathematical accuracy. Figma was used for collaborative testing and screen previews.
2. Grid Systems and Pixel Perfection
Each icon was built on a 24×24 or 48×48 grid, depending on intended usage. This grid ensured alignment, balance, and consistency across icon components. Anchor points were precisely snapped for clean scaling, and strokes were carefully adjusted to avoid visual ambiguity at small sizes.
3. Use of Layers and Groups
Icons were built in layers: base shapes, secondary symbols, and embellishments (e.g., waves, clouds). This allowed for easy edits and re-composition. Icons were also grouped logically to facilitate batch exporting into SVG, PDF, and PNG formats.
“Scalability wasn’t just a buzzword — it was a foundational principle of every decision we made,” said the agency’s UI designer.
4. Color and Typography Integration
The brand’s primary colors — navy blue and seafoam green — were matched using Pantone references to maintain consistency between print and digital formats. Typography integration was handled after the icons were finalized, ensuring text components were vectorized and aligned harmoniously.
Stress Testing Across Platforms
Once the final icons were complete, the team conducted rigorous tests:
- Scaling from 16px to 1024px on different screen resolutions
- Printing samples on brochures, banners, and merchandise
- Embedding icons into mobile app mockups and website headers
They discovered that a minor stroke-weight adjustment yielded better screen clarity. Additionally, transparent backgrounds were added for flexibility when overlaying on images or textures. SVGs were optimized using tools like SVGO to minimize code bloat without compromising visual output.
Final Integration into Logo
The completed custom icons were then tightly woven into the agency’s primary logo. The logo revolved around a centralized globe motif with the icons radiating outward, each representing a key service pillar. The result was a highly detailed yet scalable mark that functioned both as a full logo and as independent iconography across platforms.
This flexibility provided two crucial benefits:
- Brand consistency: No matter where an icon appeared — app, social media, print — it immediately tied back to the core brand.
- Functional modularity: Icons could be used individually for apps or combined for larger brand storytelling in brochures or presentations.
Lessons Learned and Next Steps
The team’s success stemmed from thoughtful planning, tool mastery, and an iterative approach. They emphasized the importance of not rushing the icon design process and giving equal time to both creative exploration and technical execution.
Looking ahead, the agency plans to develop an expandable icon system for their sub-brands (e.g., honeymoon packages, wildlife experiences) using the same vector principles to ensure visual consistency and scalability.
Conclusion
Developing custom icons within a vector workflow offered the travel agency not only aesthetic excellence but also a strategic branding advantage. By investing in the right process, tools, and mindset, they created a powerful, scalable visual identity that will serve them across all customer touchpoints for years to come.
FAQ
Q1: Why did the agency choose a vector workflow over raster images?
A: Vectors offer infinite scalability without losing clarity or quality. Raster images can become pixelated when resized, while vector graphics retain precision no matter the scale.
Q2: What tools were most effective in the vector design process?
A: Adobe Illustrator was used for vector path creation and detailed icon design, while Figma helped with collaborative layout testing and previewing icons in UI contexts.
Q3: Can the same vector icons be reused across different platforms?
A: Yes. Vector formats like SVG can be easily adapted for web, mobile apps, and print with minor adjustments, making them highly versatile assets.
Q4: How did the team ensure visual consistency across icons?
A: By using a strict grid system, consistent stroke weights, shared color palettes, and typographic rules, the team maintained alignment, balance, and brand cohesion across every icon.
Q5: What was the biggest challenge in the icon design process?
A: Achieving clarity at both small and large scales required meticulous detail management. Making sure each icon communicated its meaning at 24px yet looked elegant at 10 feet was a critical design challenge.