Icon Design for Internet Explorer Toolbars

Detail, "Browse Subjects", & "Highlight" "Teoma Home" icons:
Browse by SubjectHighlight Results - OrangeTo Teoma Homepage

Ask Jeeves toolbar icons:

Dictionary SearchCompose EmailAutomatic Form FillAsk Jeeves Toolbar HelpHighlight Results - BlueHighlight Results - AquaHighlight Results - GreenHighlight Results - MulticolorHighlight Results - OrangeHighlight Results - PurpleHighlight Results - YellowHoroscope
Market SearchNews SearchRemove Button TextShopping GuideUninstall Ask Jeeves ToolbarWeather SearchAdd or Remove ButtonsLink to Ask Jeeves for KidsToolbar Search Submit ButtonLink to AskJeeves.comLink to Ask Other People
Browse by SubjectRaise or Lower ButtonsEvent SearchClear Search HistoryDrop-Down Menu

Teoma toolbar icons:

Dictionary SearchStock Market SearchWeather SearchNews SearchTo Teoma HomepageHighlight Search ResultsTo EmailToggle Button Text On / OffUninstall This ToolbarAdd or Remove ButtonsTeoma Toolbar Help

Icon design is as important to an interface as the design itself. It is also very challending because it requires the ability to make something in a very small scale; usually 16 or 32 pixels square, but also within a certain color pallette. My work in the field of icon design has gone across artwork for Internet Explorer toolbars, Windows paint programs, and Windows file format icons.

In the case of Ask Jeeves and Teoma.com, the challenge was to make two sets of icons for the same toolbar... but make them visually separate in terms of style. The focus of Teoma.com, with its emphasis on simplicity and no frills is very different than the world of Jeeves, which includes many illustrative elements based on the character.

Windows displays show at least 256 colors, so I was not as limited as something like the set of icons for dadaware's Embellish program which only allowed for 16 colors. However, creating a recognizable image at 16 pixels square isn't easy. The final results did match up well with each brand's identity:
Ask Jeeves toolbar:
Teoma toolbar:


©2004: All rights reserved by the artist, Christopher T. Merkel, except where otherwise noted.
Any reproduction or distribution of the artwork presented here without the prior consent of the artist is strictly prohibited.
All brand names mentioned here remain the property of those companies. Artist claims no rights to any registered trademarks or service marks.