Tango-style icon

As part of the library website redesign, I have employed icons from the Tango Desktop Project. They are a wonderful, versatile set of open-source icons that match well with the color scheme of the new site.

As part of the project, the authors included a style guide for creating icons to match the set. It is a well written and illustrated guide that gives clear instruction on how to create an icon that will mesh well with the set. Yesterday, I had a chance to use the style guide in the creation of an icon of my own. It was very helpful and I am happy with the results.

My interest in style guides has been piqued lately by the work of Kimberly Blessing. I see style guides as a way to preserve the good work that designers do and provide a framework for duplicating that quality ad infinitum. This test case with the Tango style guide and my icon are a good personal proof of concept. I am creating standards for the aforementioned site redesign so as the site moves forward, the investment I made in the initial design can be maintained and improved upon in an environment where each team member understands the bar that we are reaching for.

Update, 9 Jan 2011: this apple icon is now available as a free download. Thanks Tango Desktop Project for your great work!