Minicons

Minicons are small-scale icons that visually reinforce an interface action, file type, status, or category.

Minicons are visually simple, quickly recognizable, and easy to understand. They are almost always used in context with descriptive text and function to reinforce the message of that text.

CFPB Minicons

Stylistic guidelines

Scaling

Web scale

The following primary benchmark sizes should be used for web sizing:

  • 16px: inline with text
  • 20px: on buttons
  • 25px: social media sharing sets
  • 30px: inline with large text links
  • 40px: paired with primary headers
16px 20px 25px 30px 40px

The following primary benchmark sizes should be used for print sizing:

  • 14pt: inline with text
  • 21pt: numbers, contact icons
  • 28pt: numbers, contact icons
  • 36pt: numbers, contact icons
  • 48pt: paired with primary headers
14pt 21pt 28pt 36pt 48pt

Color

Minicons should always be one color. If used over a color field, negative space should be knocked out.

Although color usage is flexible, minicons should always be used in high contrast tones relative to the background to maximize legibility.

One color

One color minicon example

Negative space knocked out

Negative space knocked out minicon example

Spacing

Padding varies around minicons of various primary shapes. Square, vertically and horizontally rectangular, diagonal, and most complex minicons can fit within the relative padding bounding box. Circular and some complex icons should be slightly larger to offset the visual weight of surrounding negative space.

Minicon spacing diagram

Asset LibraryView code

Navigation icons

left

right

up

down

arrow-left

arrow-right

arrow-up

arrow-down

Status icons

approved

error

help

delete

plus

minus

update

Social icons

youtube

linkedin

facebook

flickr

plus

github

email-social

Communication icons

web

email

mail

phone

technology

fax

Document icons

document

pdf

upload

copy

edit

attach

print

save

appendix

supplement

Financial product icons

bank-account

credit-card

loan

money-transfer

mortgage

debt-collection

credit-report

money

quick-cash

contract

comlaint

getting-credit-card

buying-car

paying-college

owning-home

debt

building-credit

prepaid-cards

payday-loan

retirement

Web icons

user

wifi

search

share

link

external-link

audio-mute

audio-low

audio-medium

audio-max

favorite

unfavorite

bookmark

unbookmark

settings

menu

lock

unlock

clock

chart

play

newspaper

microphone

bullhorn

double-quote

speech-bubble

information

lightbulb

dialogue

date