The use of various icons in different sizes, quantities, and styles in web design is so widespread that the question often arises: which icon styles can actually bring freshness and liveliness to a website? Typically, we see icons placed under a large image at the top of the page or beneath sliders. Sometimes icons appear in the “Services” section, arranged in a 2x3 grid. Moreover, some web designers and clients believe that modern website design trends favor minimalism and flat aesthetics—making icons seem out of place, regardless of how they look.
But here’s the interesting part… It’s precisely the outline (also called linear or thin) icons that give a design its unique charm, encourage user interaction, and have a kind of visual magnetism that draws attention to the website as a whole. These strict and minimalistic icons, as a tool for conveying information, are not suitable for every layout or interface. It's necessary to create the right conditions for their use, so they don’t get lost among the content (text or video), stay in place, and carry their intended meaning.
Thus, linear iconography—like any other direction in web design—is especially interesting today because it helps users better absorb and understand the site’s content. As the saying goes: “a picture is worth a thousand words.”
Line icons are used not only in landing page sections, but also in menus, social widgets, navigation areas, and throughout the main body of content. Meanwhile, innovators and web designers strive to incorporate a few stylized visuals or create bold solutions that would lose their appeal and meaning without these tiny graphics—making the design feel “empty” and uninspired.
Where to Find Ideas
Today we’ll explore some examples of striking combinations between general site design styles and different uses of line iconography—how it organically integrates with the website concept and adds that spark that makes it intuitive and appealing for visitors. These sites are quite unique, so it’s often best to visit them yourself to see how it all works live.
Brianza Che Nutre
This project features a large number of oversized yet beautiful icons that appear unusual but intuitive. Each icon corresponds to one of the company’s services and changes its appearance on hover, turning the section into a graphic-based menu. The flat, geometric style fits both modern design trends and the site’s overall aesthetic.
RDT54 and Flyt Verden
Another interesting use of icon styling is in the navigation that spans the entire screen. We’re used to top bars or side menus, but these designers opted for something more open, fresh, and accessible. Each icon has a unique, animated look, and menu items are enhanced with text headings. Coupled with distinct background colors for each item, these two sites feel unconventional yet very user-friendly and memorable.
o2Source and Sweet Magnolia Gelato Company
Two stylistically unconventional examples. The first uses simplified sketch-style icons for site navigation. Light gray shadows create a sense of depth and help the icons stand out from the background. A simple yet engaging solution.
The second example features decorative patterns made from icons, with interactive, thematically matched ones. This dessert company used icons to build nearly the entire visual identity of their website—and it turned out truly original.
SB Joinery and Jorgerigabert
Using icons alongside text in the menu isn’t new, but the thoughtful design here adds a special character to the websites. The small, clean, linear icons align perfectly with their respective menu items. They match the site’s design language and enhance the atmosphere without disrupting the minimalist layout. Clarity and simplicity are the mottoes here.
Line Icons as Part of Main Content
For better readability, icons are often arranged in lines or grids like 2x3 blocks. They are no longer just links but serve an informational purpose. Designers present them in creative ways.
Yama
The company’s services section is designed as a timeline—breaking many norms, yet looking perfectly elegant. Flat linear icons, connecting lines, and callouts add sophistication to the overall layout.
MotoCMS and GoodPatch
The GoodPatch project features a lot of white space, giving the user a relaxed experience. There are no bright colors—just a professional palette of two tones. Icons integrate naturally into the layout and are quickly recognizable.
Similarly, MotoCMS uses icons to highlight the engine’s benefits. These flat, minimalist icons don’t scream for attention but enrich the visuals and align with modern web design trends.
KPMG
This site is hard to ignore. While the visuals are stunning, the central section is particularly noteworthy: animated cityscapes react to your local time, and above them hover small pictograms. Simple, linear, and interactive, they serve as both a menu and a visual map—blending aesthetics with functionality.
Planet Escape
Polish web designers combined several types of content at once: text, photography, and icons. This mix can be overwhelming at first, as vivid imagery competes for attention. However, the icons here are subtly integrated and visible on certain images. More importantly, their semantic role stands out—they represent different modes of travel or the nature of the destination: a car for savannah trips, a diamond for luxury beach resorts, a boat for coastal adventures. Within this context, the icon usage is both informative and clever.
Fineocar
French designers went the opposite route and saturated the entire site with icons—without compromising clarity, branding, or modern design standards. Here, icons act as a secondary navigation bar directly on the hero image. They’re also used further down the page to highlight various content blocks. Small, high-contrast, minimalistic—they draw the user’s attention immediately. A floating panel on the right also features icons that practically demand visual attention, serving as strong call-to-action elements.
Annual Report by Fiverr
Another fascinating case: a company’s annual report built entirely with icons. The pictograms—thin, neat, monochrome—serve as clickable triggers. On the right side, contextual information appears depending on the icon selected. Instead of static charts and walls of text, this interactive presentation encourages users to explore the content at their own pace.
Lovely Things
Up to this point, we’ve mostly looked at strict, minimalist corporate designs. But this jewelry e-commerce store shows how icons can also be soft, decorative, and emotionally resonant. The site’s icons—featured in the menu—have delicate, ornate lines that match the elegance of the brand and product offering. A more conventional or rigid icon style would feel out of place here.
Social Blue
One more bold example, blending geometry, diagonal sections, and oversized elements for a uniquely elegant appeal. The primary navigation consists of diamond-shaped icon blocks, leading into a layout of rectangular tiles beneath a dark overlay. Linear icons are used throughout, adding consistency. The entire design invites deep exploration and sparks creative ideas.
Conclusion
Line icons reflect sophistication, precision, professionalism—and they bring freshness and structure to web interfaces without sacrificing creativity. But simply dropping them into a landing page or layout won’t work. The entire design must harmonize with this style —otherwise, you'll end up with a visual mismatch, like pairing hand-drawn elements with corporate line icons from Social Blue. These icons can be central to the design or a subtle accent that highlights the creator’s taste.
Either way, using line icons in web design is a stylish way to enhance your project—making it more intuitive and visually appealing. There are countless examples, but we’ve focused on some of the most innovative, elegant, and inspiring ones.