How to create an icon: a Muppet masterclass

The best icon designs are ultra-simple and yet instantly recognisable, so the challenge is to subtract everything you can until you've distilled down the essence of what you're trying to convey. A slightly unusual, but nevertheless effective example of this technique can be seen in this brilliant 'periodic table' of Muppet characters created by artist Mike Mike BaBoon.

Despite using one tiny element of the character design, most of the Muppets featured will be instantly recognisable to fans. Other information contained in each square includes their primary Muppeteer, the abbreviated name in the Muppet’s nose colour, their year and production of origin, and their hair or hat colour in the borders.

All in all, a brilliant, fun design that die-hard Muppet fans will be itching to get their hands on. The Periodic Table of The Muppets is available to purchase here.

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Have you seen any great icon designs recently? Let us know about them in the comments!