top of allergens

ALLERGEN ICONS

Around 15 million Americans have severe allergies. The most common allergy triggers are tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, wheat, soy, eggs, and dairy. My goal throughout this project was to create a cohesive family of eight icons, clearly representing these allergens, as well as complete first-hand user-testing and research to ensure their intelligibility.

ITERATION

I’ve selected just a fraction of the sketches and iterations that went into this project.

(If you’re interested in a more extensive view of my sketches and research, consider checking out the full process book PDF located at the bottom of this webpage.)

Before I started sketching, I completed user-testing research through a “draw-it” exercise. I gave a handful of individuals a list of the nine allergens with a definition for each and asked them to draw the first image that came to mind. This simple test gave insight into the imagery these users already connected with the terms. The results gave me a foundation as I began the iteration phase.

Below are exploratory sketches for the “dairy” icon. My mindset during the iteration process was one of exploring a variety of angles, arrangements, and styles. What is the best way to communicate dairy?

After extensive sketches and visual exploration, I organized the prominent styles into four broad categories. Each category held icons of various styles, color, and form language, but they shared a common thread in the general thought behind their design. Then, I chose two successful styles to focus on.

HOLDING SHAPE

ARRANGEMENT

GEOMETRIC

LIGHT + SHADOW

The icon approach I chose to run with was an illustrative style with a partial, round holding shape. During the design process, I did extensive user-testing through an open answer survey: I showed the icon and asked the users, “What does this icon represent? Can you tell me why?” No contextual information was given. I received feedback from more than 50 individuals!

PHOTO ITERATIONS

INTEGRITY AT VARIOUS SIZES

ICON EVOLUTION

APPLICATION

I applied these icons to a cookbook centered around providing delicious and healthy recipes to individuals with food allergies. Photographs were inlaid in the icons to further emphasize and communicate the allergens throughout the book.