AT&T Iconography

Creating an iconic visual language

Role

Sr. Lead Designer / Architect

Responsible for Creative Direction, Art Direction, Production Strategy, and Prototyping

Over 7 years old, AT&T's was in drastic need of a redesign. Partnering with AT&T's internal brand team, product teams, and Buck creative agency, I was a Sr. Lead Designer responsible for the creative direction and production strategies of an ecosystem of Functional and Pictogram icons that reflected AT&T's brand and scales across all AT&T's touch points.

Up for the challenge

AT&T uses a system of icons that serve a variety of internal and external needs. Through time and various updates to the icon library, as well as any addition of ad-hoc custom icons, the icon library grew to a massive 1,600+ icons. The icons didn't function well within digital applications and were designed based on various iterations of previous brand identity styles. This led to a need for developing a unified set of branded icons that would function well across all touch points—from digital to print, small to large.

Functional Icons

Functional icons were designed to ensure legibility and scalability across experiences. They informed the underlying design principles that guided the icon ecosystem. Created without digital needs in mind, AT&T's original icons were complex—breaking down at smaller sizes and being applied inconsistently across products. We created a family of functional icons that could support AT&T's many digital experiences. Building the system on a foundation of digital requirements, the suite was designed to work at a smaller scale and be simple, modern, and clear. The icons drew inspiration from AT&T's custom font, Aleck Sans. With Aleck's combination of sharp and round elements, it's bold yet approachable. The icons incorporated these characteristics to create synergy in the environments they'd populate.

Pictograms

Created for expressive uses of iconography—Pictograms are intended to be used at larger scales to signal the brand. Building from the anatomical elements of the Functional icons, Pictograms were designed to work in harmony as part of the overall icon family. Intended for use at 96px or larger, we were able to up the fidelity allowing each icon to communicate more, visually. AT&T brand-blue highlighted key aspects of each metaphor. These worked extremely well in digital brand placements, print collateral, and business presentations.

App Icons

App Icons were redesigned to build brand awareness, drive consistency, and maximize legibility for each AT&T app. The landscape of AT&T app icons was fragmented with individual business units creating the icons in various and often poorly designed ways. We established an underlying design system to unify them with each app icon consisting of three brand elements: the AT&T blue gradient, the AT&T globe, and either a product logo or icon. Used together, this established the icons as part of a cohesive family that would help them stand apart from other apps.

Team

Eric Talkar | Associate Creative Director
Adriel Caldelas | Sr. Lead Designer / Architect 
John DeFrance | Sr. Designer

Matthew Staab | Executive Brand Mgr
Shelby Bessellieu | Sr Brand Mgr

Buck | Agency