A library of icons and photos for inclusive design
The Noun Project is a fantastic library of icons and photos for inclusive design. It’s an open-source library of icons, and recently photos, with a mission to build a global visual language that unites the world. It champions diversity and inclusion with initiatives to build up icons and photos of under represented groups.
How I use it
It’s a well-used tool in my design toolkit, helping me find the right icon, time and time again, for both designs and presentations. I find it useful for translating a concept I want to present visually. For inspiration, I pop words into the search bar and see what icons people have created. Try it out yourself with one I recently searched for, “team.”
It also has handy apps and integrations for many design tools I use:
Mac app with drag and drop to Sketch, Adobe or Figma
Google docs and Microsoft add-ons
The story of The Noun Project
The Noun Project launched on Kickstarter in December 2010 and hosted Iconathons to create civic icons for topics like human rights and disaster preparedness.
In 2017, the site focused on championing inclusion with initiatives like Redefining Women, a collection of 60+ icons representing women in design, technology and leadership positions.
Redefining Women Icon Collection
And then in 2020, they launched Noun Project Photos: professionally curated, art-quality photos that celebrate diversity, which are created by a global community of photographers.
Whilst the founders primarily built the site for designers and architects, in an interview they’ve talked about a range of people using it, including people with autism and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, who sometimes favour a visual language.
The Noun Project is one of my favourite design tools and I hope you find it useful too.