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Product icons are the visual expression of a brand’s products, services, and tools.
System icons represent a command, file, device, directory, or common actions.
Product icons are 48dp, with 1dp edges
System icons are 24dp
Opacity | Icon | Background color |
54% | Active icon | Light |
26% | Inactive icon | Light |
100% | Active icon | Dark |
30% | Inactive icon | Dark |
Product icons are the visual expression of a brand’s products, services, and tools. Simple, bold, and friendly, they communicate the core idea and intent of a product. While each product icon is visually distinct, all product icons for a given brand should be unified through concept and execution.
Use these guidelines as a starting point to ensure that your product icon colors and key elements reflect your brand identity.
Product icon design is inspired by the tactile and physical quality of material. Each icon is cut, folded, and lit as paper would be, but represented by simple graphic elements. The quality of the material is sturdy, with clean folds and crisp edges. The matte-like finish interacts with light through subtle highlights and consistent shadows.
Physical prototype
Lighting study
Material prototype
Color study
The product icon grid has been developed to facilitate consistency and establish a clear set of rules for the positioning of graphic elements. This standardization results in a flexible but coherent system.
Grid
Keylines
Keyline shapes are the foundation of the grid. By using these core shapes as guidelines, you can maintain a consistent visual proportion across related product icons.
Square
Height: 152dp
Width: 152dp
Circle
Diameter: 176dp
Vertical rectangle
Height: 176dp
Width: 128dp
Horizontal rectangle
Height:128dp
Width:176dp
Android expects product icons to be provided at 48dp, with edges at 1dp. When you create the icon, maintain the 48-unit measure, but scale it to 400% at 192 x 192 dp (the edge becomes 4dp).
Any scaling done to the original will scale the image up or down proportionally. By maintaining the unit ratio, you preserve sharp edges and correct alignment when the scale is reduced.
1:1 Unit grid
4:1 Unit grid
Preset standards have been determined for specific keylines: circle, square, rectangle, orthogonals, and diagonals. This small palette of universal and simple elements has been developed to unify product icons and systemize their placement on the grid.
Product icon anatomy describes the graphic elements that make up a product icon. The consistency of these elements across icons for a given brand is critical in maintaining a shared visual language. Familiarity with these elements makes it easier to understand characteristics of each logo and subtle differences between them. It will also help educate your eye to recognize the underlying structure of logo designs.
1. Finish
2. Material background
3. Material foreground
4. Color
5. Shadow
Components
Each component is positioned on top of the previous one, always viewed from straight above.
Construction perspective
An exploded perspective example illustrating the context of each component of the logo construction.
Material background
The back-most material element
Material foreground
A material element raised above, and casting a shadow upon, the material background.
Spot color
Color applied to a small portion of an element.
Flooding
Color applied to an entire element, edge-to-edge.
Tinted edge
The top edge of a material element. A tint is the mixture of a color with white, which lightens the original color.
Shaded edge
The bottom edge of a material element. Shade is the mixture of a color with a darker hue, which darkens the original color.
Contact shadow
A soft shadow around all edges of a raised material element.
Finish
A soft tint above all elements to provide surface lighting, fading from upper-left to lower-right.
Within the material environment, virtual lights illuminate the scene and allow objects to cast shadows. A top light cast on material elements creates a contact shadow while highlighting the top and bottom edges. An angled light reinforces the sense of surface across the elements.
Top
45º angle
For a product icon, the top light from above casts a soft shadow surrounding an element lightly on the top and left. The shadow is slightly heavier below and to the right. This shadow is always contained within the icon’s silhouette.
Drop shadow metrics
Mode: Normal
Opacity: 20%
X Offset: 0dp
Y Offset: 4dp
Blur: 4dp
Color: Refer to Tint, shade and shadow values
The top and bottom edges of material elements provide a sense of depth and surface. Material elements have a standard 1dp thickness. All edge distances are measured from an element's interior edge.
Tint highlights the top edge of all elements. The left, right, and bottom edges do not have a tint applied.
Shade darkens the bottom edge of all elements. The left, right, and top edges do not have a shade applied.
Tinted edge
Height: 1dp
Opacity: 20%
Color: White (#FFFFFF)
Shaded edge
Height: 1dp
Opacity: 20%
Color: Refer to Tint, shade and shadow values
The finish layer is a result of the virtual 45º light source. It extends from the top-left corner to the exterior edge of the icon’s silhouette. The finish is always contained within these boundaries.
Gradient metrics
Type: Radial
Angle: 45º
Color: White (#FFFFFF)
Midpoint Location: 33%
Slider 1
Opacity: 10%
Location: 0%
Slider 2
Opacity: 0%
Location: 100%
Each color reacts differently when tints and shades are added. The color of every edge tint, edge shade, and shadow needs to be adjusted for each color that lies behind it. To ensure color harmony, follow the appropriate value for each.
Influenced by the behavior of physical material, simple conventions provide a sense of surface and tactility. The interactions of material and color allow for numerous unique compositions.
Color elements are flush to the paper’s surface.
Don’t embellish color elements with any edges or shadows.
Do.
Don't.
Layered paper elements create depth, having edges and shadows.
Be cautious with the quantity of overlapping surfaces. Having too many complicates the icon and lacks focus.
Do.
Don't.
Elevating a key material element atop a simple background silhouette focuses attention to the center.
Don’t crop elevated material elements within another shape.
Do.
Don't.
Scored material elements have the illusion of depth without losing their geometric form. Scores should be centered on symmetrical shapes.
Don’t use multiple scores, or position a score off-center.
Do.
Don't.
Folded material elements are skewed, having greater dimension. Spot colors should be avoided, so as to avoid altering or misrepresenting key elements.
Do.
Don't.
Overlapped material elements create unique silhouettes. All elements, edges, and shadows are confined to the interior of the silhouette.
Don’t exceed more than two overlaps. Having too many complicates the icon and lacks focus.
Do.
Don't.
Accordion folded material elements are adjoined by a connecting fold, used to add dimension to a single material element.
Don’t exceed more than two accordion folds. Having too many complicates the icon and lacks focus.
Do.
Don't.
Product icons should never be distorted or transformed. Elements should remain in their geometric form, and not be skewed, rotated, bowed, warped, or bent.
Don't.
Don't.
The below guidelines and examples illustrate best practices for incorporating human iconography into your UI.
Construction
Keyline alignment
Square
Circle
Vertical rectangle
Horizontal rectangle
Paper
Color
Construction
Composition
Do.
Do use simple shapes for background silhouettes.
Don't.
Don’t use complicated shapes for background silhouettes.
Do.
Do use the correct and consistent human form at all times.
Don't.
Don’t use an incorrect human form or add complex details.
Do.
Do use curved and straight edges for visual balance.
Don't.
Don’t use circular arm terminals nor cropped arms.
A system icon, or UI icon, symbolizes a command, file, device, or directory. System icons are also used to represent common actions like trash, print, and save.
The design of system icons is simple, modern, friendly, and sometimes quirky. Each icon is reduced to its minimal form, with every idea edited to its essence. The designs ensure readability and clarity even at small sizes.
Shapes are bold and geometric.
Symmetry and consistency of shapes give the icons a unique quality, while keeping them simple and bold.
Simple
Intuitive
Actionable
Consistent
System icons are displayed at 24dp. When creating icons, it’s important to design at 100% scale for pixel-perfect accuracy.
When the mouse and keyboard are the primary input methods, measurements may be condensed to accommodate denser layouts. For dense layouts on desktop, icons can be scaled down to 20dp.
100% scale
Dense grid at 20dp, 100% scale
800% scale
Dense grid at 20dp, 800% scale
The icon grid has been developed to facilitate consistency and establish a clear set of rules for the positioning of graphic elements. This standardization results in a flexible but coherent system.
Grid
Keylines
The content of an icon should remain inside of the live area. The live area is a safe zone of an image, in which graphics have sufficient display room and are unlikely to be cut off from view (such as when sidebars appear upon scrolling).
The trim area refers to the final size of a graphic file.
Content should only extend into the padding between the live and trim areas if additional visual weight is needed. Do not place any part of the icon outside of the trim area.
Dense layouts
For dense layouts on desktop, icons may be scaled down to 20dp with 2dp of padding surrounding the icon.
Live area
Icon content is limited to the 20dp x 20dp live area, with 4dp of padding around the perimeter.
Dense live area
Icon content is limited to the 16dp x 16dp live area, with 2dp of padding around the perimeter.
Padding
4px of empty space makes up the padding surrounding the 20dp x 20dp live area.
Dense padding area
The 2dp of padding surrounds the live area.
Keyline shapes are the foundation of the grid. By using these core shapes as guidelines, you can maintain a consistent visual proportion throughout the system icons.
Square
Height: 18dp
Width: 18dp
Circle
Diameter: 20dp
Vertical rectangle
Height: 20dp
Width: 16dp
Horizontal rectangle
Height: 16dp
Width: 20dp
Preset standards have been determined for specific keylines: circle, square, rectangle, orthogonals, and diagonals. This small palette of universal and simple elements has been developed to unify Google system icons and systemize their placement on the icon grid.
Construction
Composition
1. Stroke terminal
2. Corner
3. Counter area
4. Stroke
5. Counter stroke
6. Bounding area
Consistent corner radiuses are key to unifying the overall system icon family. A 2dp corner radius is used on the silhouette form of the icon. Do not round the corners of strokes (shapes 2dp wide or less).
Interior corners should be square. Do not round the corners of interior shapes.
Exterior corners with 2dp corner radius
Interior corners
Consistent stroke weights are key to unifying the overall system icon family. Maintain a 2dp width for all stroke instances, including curves, angles, and both interior and exterior strokes.
Consistency
Curves and angles
Stroke terminal
Counter stroke
Extreme scenarios that call for subtle tweaks add to the legibility of an icon. Instances where complex details are unavoidable require adjusting metrics.
If optical corrections are necessary, only use the consistent geometric forms on which all other icons are based. Don’t skew or distort the forms.
Complex
The paperclip icon in this example is only using 1.5dp of the possible 2dp stroke area to fit multiple curves within the 24 x 24dp icon space.
Small scale
The microphone icon in this example is using a 1.5dp stroke to indicate microphone sound waves within the 24 x 24dp icon space.
Adequate space around the icon is needed to allow for legibility and touch.
When the mouse and keyboard are the primary input methods, measurements may be condensed to accommodate denser layouts.
Clearance area
Icon: 24dp
Touch target: 48dp
Clearance area for dense icons
Icon: 20dp
Touch target: 40dp
Placement
Consistency aids user comprehension of icons. Use the existing system icons whenever possible and across different applications.
Do.
Do use consistent stroke weights and squared stroke terminals.
Don't.
Don’t use inconsistent stroke weights or rounded stroke terminals.
Do.
Do make icons appear front-facing and sturdy.
Don't.
Don’t tilt, rotate, or make icons appear dimensional.
Do.
Do simplify icons for greater clarity and legibility.
Don't.
Don’t be overly literal. Avoid complex icons.
Do.
Do make icons graphic and bold.
Don't.
Don’t use delicate, thin stroke weights.
Do.
Do use geometric, consistent shapes.
Don't.
Don’t use gestural or loose organic shapes.
Do.
Do position icons “on pixel” – meaning the X and Y coordinates are integers and do not contain decimals.
Icons should have equal width and height (e.g. 24x24) to avoid distorting the icon.
Don't.
Don’t place the icon on a coordinate that is not “on pixel”.
Don’t distort the icon by having unequal width and height values.
1. Head
2. Neck
3. Upper body
4. Arm
5. Leg
Full body
Upper body
Full body example
Upper body example
Cropped example
Detailed parts example
Full body examples
Visual Alignment
Upper body examples
Visual Alignment
Cropped examples
Detailed part examples
Do.
Do use consistent stroke weights and squared arm/leg terminals.
Don't.
Don’t use inconsistent stroke weights nor rounded arms/legs.
Do.
Do align elements to simplify the silhouette for clarity.
Don't.
Don’t crop portions of arms/legs.
Do.
Do fully embed elements within a shape when contained.
Don't.
Don’t break the container’s boundary with elements.
Do.
Do add human elements when they help amplify the meaning of an icon.
Don't.
Don’t add human elements when they increase the complexity of an icon.
Do.
Do use the most simple shapes to represent human characteristics.
Don't.
Don’t apply human characteristics to inanimate objects.
The standard opacity for an active icon on a light background is 54% (#000000). An inactive icon, which is lower in the visual hierarchy, should have an opacity of 26% (#000000).
The standard opacity for an active icon on a dark background is 100% (#FFFFFF). An inactive icon, which is lower in the visual hierarchy, should have an opacity of 30% (#FFFFFF).
App shortcuts give users quick, easy access to up to four of your app’s actions. Each action can also be added to the home screen.
Shortcut actions are displayed depending upon the location of your app’s icon. For example, app icons near the left edge of the screen will display actions wherever there is available space.
These guidelines will help you create app shortcuts using standard icons, single avatars, and group avatars.
Four shortcuts maximum may be shown at once. You may determine the order of the shortcuts.
App shortcut icons are circular. They contain a standard system icon, or at least one avatar. Icon content must remain inside of the trim area (the total area of the graphic).
Sizing
2dp of padding must surround the 44x44dp live area
Color
Live area: Solid fill of Material Grey 100 (#F5F5F5)
Shadow
Shortcut icons do not include shadows
Live area
All icon content should remain in the 44dp live area, with a solid background color fill of Material Grey 100 (or #F5F5F5).
Total area
2dp of padding must surround the live area, making the total icon size 48dp.
Standard shortcut icons have a Material system icon centered within the live area.
Sizing
Color
The system icon should have the same color as the app’s primary color or app icon (with enough contrast against the circular background).
File format
Standard icons should be provided in SVG, which allows icons to be scaled automatically. You may also use vector drawables, tinted bitmaps, or layer lists.
Do not use non-vector drawables, as they have specific dimensions that do not scale in this context.
System icon size
The system icon should have equal width and height: 24x24dp.
Position in live area circle
The 24dp icon should be centered vertically and horizontally within the live area circle.
Do.
The color of the icon should have enough contrast against the Material Grey 100 background.
Don't.
Don’t use colors with insufficient contrast against the grey background.
Single avatars contain one image. They must be created at XXXHPDI.
Sizing
File format
Provide PNG files at all densities.
Live area circle & avatar area
The avatar should fill the entire live area circle. These assets must be created in XXXHPDI.
Total area
2dp of padding must surround the 44dp live area circle for a total area of 48dp.
Group avatars contain 2-4 images on a circular background. They must be created at XXXHPDI.
Sizing
Color
Live area: Solid fill Material Grey 100 (#F5F5F5)
File format
Provide PNG files at all densities.
Live area circle
The live area circle should have a color fill of Material Grey 100 (#F5F5F5).
Avatar area
Avatars must fit within the 30x30 dp space and be centered, vertically and horizontally, within the live area.
Total area
2dp of padding must surround the 44dp live area for a total area of 48dp.
