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Known Participant
May 26, 2025 6:39 AM UTC
Question

Icon Design Similarities - Best Practices for Uploading

In icon designing, some common icons—like mail, web, search, etc.—often end up looking 90% or even 99% similar to existing designs. Even designers whose icons are already approved find that their designs closely resemble those of others because these types of icons naturally have a standard look.

So, what should i do if i want to design such icons? I'm confident that i can create a somewhat unique version, but similarities will still exist due to the nature of these icons. Should i avoid designing these icons altogether? Or should i upload them as part of a bundle?

Many designer says that if an icon set is uploaded as a bundle, even if 1-2 icons are similar to existing ones, the entire bundle is considered unique. Is that really true? If 1-2 icons in my bundle resemble someone else's design, would it still be safe from copyright issues?

1 reply

daniellei4510
Community Expert
Community Expert
May 26, 2025 9:23 AM UTC

These are impossible questions to answer, considering the present real or perceived randomness of decisions made with regard to the rejection of so-called "similar" assets. We simply don't know.

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