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Known Participant
May 26, 2025
Question

Icon Design Similarities - Best Practices for Uploading

  • May 26, 2025
  • 1 reply
  • 168 views

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

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.

Adobe Community Expert | If you can't fix it, hide it; if you can't hide it, delete it.