How to Customize and Create Your Own Icons in Notion

Notion is a powerful tool for organizing your tasks, notes, and projects. One great way to add a personal touch and enhance the visual appeal of your Workspace is by customizing and creating your own icons. With personalized icons, you can integrate your unique style and Branding elements into your Notion pages, making them more visually appealing and unique. In this article, we’ll explore updated methods and best practices for customizing and creating icons in Notion using the latest features.

Customizing Icons in Notion

Notion provides a wide range of built-in icons that you can quickly select to represent pages, projects, or categories. If you want a more personalized look or wish to align icons with your brand identity, you can customize them using these updated techniques:

1. Add or Change an Icon
   On any Notion page, click on the icon area near the title. If your page doesn’t have an icon yet, you will see an Add Icon button. Click it to reveal Notion’s gallery of built-in icons. You can also choose the Upload an image option to select a custom icon from your computer.

2. Customize Icon Appearance
   While Notion now standardizes icon sizes for a consistent look, you can still make improvements by:
   – Choosing a Different Icon: Browse the available options until you find one that matches your content.
   – Applying a Color Theme: If you’re using an image editor before uploading your icon, adjust its color palette to follow your Branding guidelines. Notion’s internal options do not allow in-app color adjustments, so customizing externally is recommended.

3. Add Complementary Text or Emojis
   Enhance the icon’s context by adding text or emojis near the icon. This can help clarify the purpose or add an extra layer of visual appeal to your page.

4. Duplicate Icon Settings Across Pages
   If you’ve created a custom look for one page and want to maintain a consistent style throughout your Workspace, duplicate the page. You can duplicate a page (and its associated icon) by selecting the page and pressing Cmd/Ctrl + D.

By updating your icon strategy with these methods, you can ensure that your Notion pages not only stay organized but also reflect your personal or brand identity.

Creating Your Own Icons

While Notion’s built-in selection is robust, you might prefer to create icons that perfectly express your style or brand. Here are two popular methods to design your own icons:

1. Using External Icon Editors

Online icon editors like Flaticon, Iconfinder, or Font Awesome enable you to create or modify icons with ease. Here’s how you can work with them:

1. Choose an Icon Editor:
   Select an editor that offers the customization options you need. Most platforms allow you to adjust shapes, colors, sizes, and styles.

2. Create or Customize Icons:
   Use the editor's tools to design a new icon or modify an existing one. Experiment until you achieve the look you desire.

3. Export the Icon:
   Once satisfied, export your icon in a common image format such as PNG. Some applications also support SVG export for scalable designs.

4. Import into Notion:
   In Notion, click on the icon area of your page header and select Upload an image to bring your custom icon into your Workspace.

This approach enables you to design icons that align perfectly with your creative vision or brand identity.

2. Vector Graphic Editors

For those with experience in vector design, tools like Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, or Inkscape offer advanced capabilities. Follow these steps:

1. Design the Icon:
   Create your icon with full control over shapes, colors, and layers to achieve the desired look.

2. Export the Icon:
   Export your icon in a vector format such as SVG or in a high-resolution PNG. Vector files are ideal for maintaining quality at any size, even though Notion displays icons at a standardized scale.

3. Import into Notion:
   Navigate to your Notion page, click on the icon, and choose Upload an image. Select your newly exported icon file to update the page.

Using vector graphic editors offers a professional level of customization, allowing you to craft intricate icons tailored to your Notion pages.

Conclusion

Customizing and creating your own icons in Notion lets you infuse a personal touch, align with your brand’s aesthetic, and boost the visual appeal of your Workspace. Whether you simply choose from Notion’s built-in icons and tweak them externally or create your own designs from scratch, the updated practices in this guide ensure a modern, cohesive look for every page. By following these steps, you can easily integrate your personal flair and Branding elements, making your Notion pages truly unique and eye-catching.