December 29, 2024

A Guide to Google Icons: Material Symbols and More

Google provides one of the most comprehensive and widely used icon collections for web and app developers. Originally known for its Material Icons, the system has evolved into Material Symbols, a vast, customizable library that integrates perfectly with Google's design language.

This guide will give you an overview of Google Icons, how to use them, and how they stack up against alternatives like lucide-react.

From Material Icons to Material Symbols

While "Material Icons" is still a well-known term, Material Symbols is the latest and recommended version from Google. It offers several key advantages:

  • Variable Font Technology: Instead of downloading multiple icon files for different styles, Material Symbols are packaged into a single font file with customizable axes for fill, weight, grade, and optical size.
  • Customization: You can fine-tune the icons directly with CSS. For example, you can change an icon's weight from thin to bold without loading a different asset.
  • Vast Library: The library contains thousands of icons in three styles: outlined, rounded, and sharp.

How to Use Google Icons (Material Symbols)

The easiest way to use Material Symbols is via Google Fonts.

  1. Add the Stylesheet: Include the following line in the <head> of your HTML:

    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Material+Symbols+Outlined:opsz,wght,FILL,[email protected],100..700,0..1,-50..200" />

  2. Use the Icons in HTML: Simply add a <span> element with the name of the icon:

    <span class="material-symbols-outlined">
search
</span>

You can change the icon's style by adjusting its font-variation-settings in CSS.

Comparison to Other Libraries

While Google Icons are incredibly powerful, there are other libraries that may be a better fit for certain scenarios.

  • Google Icons vs. Lucide:
    • Style: Google Icons have a very specific "Material" look that may not suit every design. Libraries like Lucide (which powers the BraveColors Icon Explorer) offer a cleaner, more neutral line-art style.
    • Implementation: With lucide-react, you import each icon as a separate SVG component. This can lead to better performance ("tree-shaking") because you only bundle the icons you actually use, rather than an entire font file.
    • Customization: While Google Symbols' variable axes offer great flexibility, using SVGs directly from Lucide provides even more granular control over strokes, fills, and animations.

Conclusion

Google Icons are a fantastic and robust choice, especially if you are already working within the Material Design ecosystem. They are easy to implement and offer impressive customization directly through CSS.

However, for projects that require a different aesthetic or where bundle optimization is a top priority, an SVG-based library like lucide-react may be the superior option.

Regardless of your choice, understanding the different icon systems available is key to creating an effective and visually appealing user interface.

Share this post