007 — Use filled icons when possible
by Óscar Otero
6 min read
Some studies say filled icons are easier to recognize than outlined icons in most cases (with a few exceptions). This is especially true when the outline version includes too much noise so it's more difficult to recognize the characteristic clue (the element of the icon that makes it more identifiable).
The following icons are outlined:
And here you can see the same icons in the filled style which, according to the study, are faster to recognize:
The exception to this rule are icons that, in the real world, have transparent elements (like a magnifying glass), are white (like paper) or when the characteristic cue is more salient in an outline style (like the peak of a speech bubble):
The solid versions don't work so well:
