JJ.Ying´s GUI World Professional Skin & Icon Design

We use icons everyday, obviously decent applications and websites needs decent icons.  GUI is not only about good looking and eye candy, in most of cases we have to treat them carefully in the design process while tackling the creativity and usability, I think that's why it's so hard to be a icon master.  But in this article, I listed 20 greatest Icon Studios, their designers have set the model of us and presented different styles with high qualities.

Iconfactory

As a professional Icon Studio evolved for more than 10 years ago, Iconfactory has a extremely impressive portfolio, everyone of us can touch their creative minds and efforts through Windows XP and Vista icon system.  In the mean time, the greatest thing is as a company has hundreds of big clients like Microsoft and Autodesk, they still keep the tradition that constantly provide freebies like wallpapers and icons for users.  Also, their various stock icons are still the best over the internet!

Iconka

I was very excited when watching the icon drawing process video recorded by iconka, and that's why I did my own icon making process video.  As you can see, I could hardly treat details and colors that accurate like iconka did.  Enjoy their video tutorial and portfolio, you will see how professional they are and rich details are totally the spirits of iconka works.

Yellowicon

Founded by Everaldo, yellowicon is quite qualified as the pioneer of crystal icon style.  Check out their strong portfolio and stock icons, there are millions of icons with decent gloss treatments, if you're looking for sleekness, they are exactly what you need!

Enhanced Labs

Being a skin & icon designer myself, I know exactly how difficult to design a whole set of small icons, especially when the size is 16px by 16px or even smaller.  Using proper metaphors, reducing unnecessary details and strengthening the shapes to get better impact & recognition are the some solutions.  And in my view, designers from Enhanced Labs are holy experienced in creating these tiny icons, they nicely outputted the icon system for Microsoft Office 2008: Mac, which is always a perfect standard for us iconists.

Icoeye

Are you moved when looking at their icons?  Yes, I was!  Vivid colors, smooth shade, interesting ideas and even some of them are animated!  If you agree everyone likes cuties then everybody likes Icoeye!

HYBRIDWORKS

We definitly can't miss this, HYBRIDWORKS concentrates on desktop goodies for years and they have very unique style that is hard to be copied.  They made icons detailed like illustrations and they actually make beautiful illustrations!  BTW, they have a quite fascinating website, flash based and fully customizable.

Fasticon

Just as Iconfactory did, Fasticon has produced dozens of free icon sets for users to download, but after gained much reputations, freebies seem to be not the central of their business in their latest website update.

IconDrawer

The only reason I don't put Icondrawer at the top of the list is that I haven't seen any of their complete icon sets, besides, they are really really my favourite!  Both tiny and normal size, their works totally set the highest standard of what an iconist could ever fulfill.

milkworks

Another japanese studio provide web & icon design services.  Icons below are done in old style but don't forget to visit milkworks gallery, they have so many decent works done with up-to-date skills.

Turbomilk

Established in 2002, the russian studio Turbomilk have so many good looking icons done in their gallery and the journals and tutorials on their blog are truely worth reading.

Artua

SoftFacade

IconBuffet

Iconkits

2s-Space

IconShock

Iconjoy

Icon Eden

afterglow

Icons-Land