Product Iconography — Coinbase
Year
2022
Credits
Lead Illustrator: Maryanne N
Partners: Nick S (Illustrator), Terran W (Illustrator), Dom Flask (Manager)
Problem and Opportunity
Following the success of the Navigation Iconography work — which was widely praised for its clean, modern feel — I had the opportunity to lead the overhaul of Coinbase’s core icon system. While an existing set was in place, it no longer aligned with the updated brand direction. The icons needed a visual lift to feel more literal, trustworthy, and accessible across all surfaces.
I started by building the foundational icon set, establishing the visual direction and design thinking behind it. A key evolution was introducing new props for fill and outline, bringing consistency across components while allowing icons to flex between contexts. After defining the new style and creating robust usage guidelines, I collaborated with the rest of the Illustration Team, delegating the remaining icon builds to scale the system efficiently.
Outline state
Filled state
Transforming the previous set which was too bold and didn’t align with the typeface. To something more light-weight, easier to read.
Finding out what were our top 20 used icons gave the team some focus on what icons had more priority.
Using Coinbase’s time circle as subtle inspiration to the icon work.
Scaling icons from L, M, and S. Stripping back details as we scale up and down to ensure readbility and surface area. A great example if when we go into dense UI and S icons is a great use for this.
Crypto related icons. Complicated (true!) but in context it makes more sense (hehe).
Finally, outline and filled icons! The intentional and subtle details go a very long way.
Look, I’m going to be real here. People related icons are the most difficult icons to draw due to the multiple variations they appear in. Please appreciate these.
Exploration to find the “quirk” for our icons. Adopting the horizontal edge that is mirrored in the Coinbase brand.
Exploration to find the “quirk” for our icons. Alignment with Coinbase’s time circle.