[Project Complete] 4 icons needed by 9/2 - $175

[kylepero]

(Admin code added by Palmer - 1SM68031PA107825C)

Hi,
I need four icons for the relaunch of my website. I am a usability consultant and I wanted the 4 different services I provide to be represented by 4 different icons. The icons should represent the deliverables and/or methodology used for each service.

The different icons needed are for the following services (I tried to go into detail and provide examples so you can understand what I’m envisioning for each icon):

User Research – User requirements gathering, task analysis, contextual/non-contextual interviews, persona creation. The icon for this service should be focused on the persona deliverable. Personas are simply archetypes of your target audience. Typically, a persona consists of a picture of the user and quick stats and background info on one piece of paper. Persona examples: http://www.atmarkit.co.jp/fbiz/cbuil...00/persona.jpg, http://www.7nights.com/asterisk/jane_king.gif

Usability Testing – Card-sorting and formal user testing. The icon for this service should be focused on the act of conducting a one-on-one user test. This typically entails me sitting with a user in front of a website or prototype and watching how they interact with the site. This is typically how the set up looks: http://www.cimex.com/images/dyn/case.../usability.jpg, http://www.useit.com/papers/sunweb/user_testing.gif, http://www.maya.com/web/images/proje...esting_lab.jpg

Interaction Design – Wireframe creation and paper/HTML/PHP prototyping. The icon for this service should be focused on the wireframe deliverable. Wireframes are just black and white sketches of how website pages should be layed out. Wireframe examples:
http://www.contextualanalysis.com/im...oyeeportal.gif, http://www.guindo.com/images/portfol..._wireframe.gif, http://www.barrettcommunications.com...e_tertiary.gif

Information Architecture – Creating usable navigation systems. Compiling content inventories and creating site maps. The icon for this service should be focused on the site map deliverable. Site maps look like tree hierarchies. They basically just entail rows of boxes connected with lines. Site map examples:
http://www-argo.ucsd.edu/site-map-buttons-s.gif, http://www.units.muohio.edu/eap/depa...phssitemap.gif

Good examples of a site map and wireframe icon that I like can be found here:
http://www.wiklundrd.com/design.html

I think the size of these icons should be fairly large. I’d say no bigger than 100x100 though. I’d like for the icons to have a cut-out look to them rather than being boxed in. Lastly, they should be colorful. My new website logo is attached to give you an idea of the colors that will be used on the site.

This contest will be over on 9/2 and the prize amount is $175. If you need more direction or have questions please don’t hesitate to ask.

Good luck to everyone who submits entries!

Cheers,
Kyle

[heathersmith]

Hello,

Here's my idea for the icons.

Let me know what you think!

Thanks,

Heather

[kylepero]

Wow, great job Heather! I really like the colors and the style of the icons. Here are my thoughts on each one:

User Research - Perfect! I like this the way it is.

Usability Testing - I really like the people, but it's hard to tell that there is a computer in front of them. It's a little hard to tell what ithe icon represents.

Interaction Design - I think the wireframe icon looks good, but I think there is too much color in this one. Would it be possible to add some of the white and gray you have in the first two? I also like how the other ones have a shine on them.

Information Architecture - I like this one, but can you incorporate more colors like the first two? I'd rather not stick to just one color.

Thanks again Heather. These look great.

Cheers,
Kyle

[heathersmith]

Kyle,

I'm happy that you like the icons!
I will make the changes requested.

Heather

[heathersmith]

Hello!

Let me know if you need anything else changed.

Heather

[kylepero]

Hi Heather,
Thanks for the quick revision work. Here's my feedback:

Usability Testing - Something is just not right with this one. I actually may like the 1st version of this one better. I think the computer screen of the 1st one looked better because it wasn't all blue. Maybe tweaking the screen of this version to show them interacting with a website would be better.

Interaction Design - I like this version better. The lighter colors and shine looks good, but I think we still need to add more lines/boxes or something to this one. It's just a little plain. Maybe adding some rows of bulleted lines to signify text in one area would also help.

Information Architecture - I'm still not crazy about this one even though the colors were added. Maybe it would be better to have the boxes outlined in one color and filled in with a lighter color? Would it be possible to space the boxes out a little further away from each other as well?

Thanks again for the quick revisions. It's looking good.

Cheers,
Kyle

[heathersmith]

Revisions made

[heathersmith]

Here's another example of the Usability Testing icon.

[kylepero]

Hi Heather,
I think your 3rd version of the usability testing icon is good. I think this one will work better than the 4th version. I like the other icons as well, but just need some picky revisions:

Interaction Design - Can we make the lines in the wireframe a lot thinner?

Information Architecture - I like the colors and spacing much better. Can you add that shine to this icon as well?

Thanks!

[heathersmith]

Kyle,

Changes made. Let me know if there is anything else!

Heather

[kylepero]

Looks great Heather! Thanks for your excellent entry. You have really set the bar high for the other designers!

Cheers,
Kyle

[Rongie]

HI Kyle,

Here's my entry. Thanks for waiting.

Ron

[kylepero]

Hi Ron,
Thanks for your entry! I like the color and style of these icons, but I'm not sure the icons reflect the services well...

User Research: The arrow doesn't exactly signify the act of researching. Is there something else that would work better? I'm also not wild about the "circle people". I don't mind just showing the faces, but maybe something more defined would be better.

Usability Testing: The laptop and people are good elements to include in the icon, but I'm not liking the "circle people" wearing wigs.

Interaction Design: I like this one. I like how it shows the act of creating the prototype, but what is actually being created is vague. This could really be an icon for a lot of different services. Is it possible to show what it is that's being drawn (wireframe)?

Information Architecture: I prefer not to show the site map in a form of circles and lines. Boxes would be better. This also looks more like an icon for chemistry or biology. The site map needs to look more hierarchical.

Thanks again for your submission!

Cheers,
Kyle

[kylepero]

Well Heather, it looks like you are the winner (I guess no one wanted to compete w/ ya). Congratulations!

I will PM you my email address so you can send me the files.

Cheers,
Kyle

[heathersmith]

Thanks!

P.M. sent.