Fundamental Shapes in Favicons

Circle
Unity, infinity

Square
Stability, strength

Triangle
Direction, energy

Diamond
Value, quality

Shape Psychology in Favicon Design

What Shapes Communicate

Psychology	Best For	Examples
Circle: Unity, community, eternity, protection, wholeness	Social networks, communities, wellness, global brands	Facebook, Instagram, Chrome
Square/Rectangle: Stability, trust, security, professionalism	Business, finance, real estate, corporate sites	LinkedIn, Microsoft, Adobe
Triangle: Direction, movement, power, energy, stability (base down)	Tech, sports, action-oriented brands, navigation	Google Play, YouTube Play button
Rounded Square: Friendly, modern, approachable, soft	Apps, mobile-first, friendly brands	iOS icons, many app favicons
Oval/Ellipse: Dynamic, modern, unique, movement	Creative industries, innovation, design	Various creative brands
Pentagon/Hexagon: Strength, protection, organization	Security, military, systems, structure	GitHub (octagon), security firms
Inverted Triangle: Instability, caution, warning, movement	Alerts, notifications, warnings (use carefully)	Rare in favicons
Diamond: Luxury, value, precision, quality	Premium brands, jewelry, luxury services	High-end brands

Circle-Based Favicons

Working with Circular Designs

Circle Design Variations:

Solid Circle
Simple, bold

Ring/Outline
Modern, minimal

Gradient Circle
Depth, modern

Multi-color
Dynamic, vibrant

Best Practices for Circles:

Perfect circles: Use exact 1:1 aspect ratio
Centered: Keep design elements centered within circle
Breathing room: Leave margin around circle edge
Content inside: Icons/letters inside circle work well
Anti-aliasing: Ensure smooth edges at small sizes

Square & Rectangle Favicons

Angular Design Approaches

Square Variations:

Sharp Corners
Modern, precise

Rounded Corners
Friendly, soft

Diamond
Dynamic, unique

Rectangle
Horizontal emphasis

Corner Radius Guidelines:

Size	Border Radius	Effect
16x16px	0-2px	Sharp to slightly rounded
32x32px	4-6px	Noticeably rounded
64x64px	8-12px	iOS-style rounded square
512x512px	64-96px	Modern app icon style

Triangles & Directional Shapes

Dynamic & Directional Design

Triangle Orientations & Meanings:

Pointing Up
Growth, aspiration

Pointing Down
Downloads, menu

Pointing Right
Play, forward

Pointing Left
Back, previous

Use Cases for Triangular Shapes:

Media players: Play button (right-pointing triangle)
Dropdown menus: Down-pointing triangles
Navigation: Directional indicators
Tech/Innovation: Upward-pointing for growth
Warning/Alerts: Exclamation in triangle

Complex & Custom Shapes

Beyond Basic Geometry

Polygon Shapes:

Pentagon
5 sides, unique

Hexagon
6 sides, strong

Star
Excellence, rating

Organic Shapes:

Best For:

Creative industries: Art, design, creativity
Nature/Wellness: Organic, natural feel
Unique branding: Stand out from competitors
Modern tech: Fluid, dynamic brands

Challenges:

Harder to scale to small sizes
May lose detail at 16x16px
Requires careful anti-aliasing
More complex to implement

Combining Shapes

Creating Compound Shapes

Effective Shape Combinations:

Circle + Triangle
Play button style

Square + Circle
Recording icon

?

Circle + Symbol
Checkmark, success

Rules for Combining Shapes:

Limit to 2-3 shapes: Too many becomes cluttered
Maintain hierarchy: One dominant shape, others supporting
Use contrast: Different sizes or colors for each shape
Ensure scalability: All shapes visible at 16x16px
Balance composition: Distribute visual weight evenly

Technical Implementation

Creating Shapes in Code

SVG Circle Example:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 32 32">
  <circle cx="16" cy="16" r="14" fill="#3498DB"/>
</svg>

SVG Square with Rounded Corners:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 32 32">
  <rect x="2" y="2" width="28" height="28" rx="4" fill="#E74C3C"/>
</svg>

SVG Triangle:

<svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 32 32">
  <polygon points="16,4 28,28 4,28" fill="#2ECC71"/>
</svg>

CSS clip-path for Complex Shapes:

/* Hexagon */
.hexagon {
  width: 32px;
  height: 32px;
  background: #1ABC9C;
  clip-path: polygon(25% 0%, 75% 0%, 100% 50%, 75% 100%, 25% 100%, 0% 50%);
}

/* Star */
.star {
  width: 32px;
  height: 32px;
  background: #F39C12;
  clip-path: polygon(50% 0%, 61% 35%, 98% 35%, 68% 57%, 79% 91%, 50% 70%, 21% 91%, 32% 57%, 2% 35%, 39% 35%);
}

Shape Design Best Practices

? Do This

Use simple, recognizable shapes
Ensure shapes scale well to 16x16px
Choose shapes that match brand personality
Use high contrast for visibility
Test shapes on different backgrounds
Keep visual weight balanced
Use anti-aliasing for smooth edges
Consider shape psychology

? Avoid This

Overly complex shapes (too much detail)
Shapes that become unrecognizable when small
Too many shapes in one design
Thin lines that disappear at small sizes
Shapes without clear visual hierarchy
Poor contrast between shapes
Misaligned or off-center shapes
Shapes that don't match brand identity

Favicon Shape Design Guide