Icons are a great way to convey a message quickly and add character to a brand.

They reinforce ideas, they’re more attention-grabbing and engaging, and they can help you differentiate your business from others in your industry.

Between our recent site updates and the Ellechat on custom icons a month or two ago, icons have been a popular subject around here. But I’ve seen that most people have trouble coming up with icon ideas and creating them.

So I considered the terms that are used most often by creative entrepreneurs and created an icon set for you.

You can use this “icon dictionary” as inspiration for icon ideas or you can login to the Library, download the set, and customize it to match your brand.

Words included:

Email
Service
Productivity
FAQ
Product
Logo
Idea
Profit
Portfolio
Network
Purchase
Creativity
Tip
Teach
Shipping

Record/replay
Audience
Coffee
Support
Contact
Strategy
Sell
Video
Podcast
Business
Website
Action
Marketing
Design
Workbook/guide

But the great thing about this set is that it’s versatile. The “website” icon can also be used for “blogging” or “computer.” The clock can be used for “productivity” or “time frame.” The “network” icon can be used for “social media” or “communication.”

Ideas for where to use these icons:

Website (home page, about, contact, services, project)
Business cards
Presentations
Social media graphics
Blog post graphics
Infographics
Pricing guide
Media kit
Packaging stickers
Newsletters
Email opt-ins
Sidebar buttons

...and more. The great thing about icons is that they're so versatile - the possibilities for where you can use them are endless.

How to customize the set

1 | Login/subscribe to the Elle & Company Library

The Library a convenient, inexpensive online collection of workbooks, templates, and files to help entrepreneurs organize and customize the behind-the-scenes of their business.

It's $6.99/month and subscribers have unlimited access to the 100+ resources included.

I add to the collection 3-4 times each month and this icon set is our most recent addition!

Those who have already subscribed to the Library can login here, and those who are interested in purchasing a subscription can learn more here.

2 | Download the file

Once you've logged in, click on the icon images to download the customizable Adobe Illustrator file.

3 | Change the style and colors in Adobe Illustrator

Once you've opened the file in Illustrator, you can customize them to match your brand. Switch out the colors, add background colors or other details, and save.

Coming up with icons for your creative business doesn't have to be a hassle. Pull ideas from the icon dictionary above or download the template and customize it to match your brand.

Do you utilize icons for your creative business? Are there any other icon ideas you'd like to see added to our set?