Iconography
Overview
Icons are visual symbols that represent specific ideas, objects or actions. They can help simplify complex concepts, draw attention to key actions or information, and make content feel more engaging and approachable. At Kyndryl, our icon library includes two styles: Expressive and Simplified.
Both share a cohesive look and feel, but each is designed for different needs. Expressive icons feature more detail and are best suited for larger displays, while Simplified icons are optimized for smaller sizes and digital environments, with cleaner lines and fewer details for clarity.
General usage guidance
Use expressive icons at a larger scale than simplified.
01
Size is the primary factor to consider when choosing which icon style to use.
Use Expressive icons for sizes larger than 80 pixels, such as presentations, signage, displays or large callouts. Use Simplified icons for sizes between 60–80 pixels, including system icons for web or mobile and any other small-scale designs.
Icons of the same set should be used at consistent sizes.
02
Ensure icons are consistently sized.
Icons of the same style should always be used at a consistent size and scale.
03
Anything larger than 80px should implement the expressive icon set.
Expressive icons
As noted above, our Expressive icons are much more detailed than our Simplified icons and are designed for use on larger displays. Each icon features a single focal element, highlighted in either Warm Red or Deep Forest.
Approved color combinations:
Below are the two approved color options for Expressive icons: white with Deep Forest accents and Dark Stone with Warm Red accents.
Our primary icon set uses Dark Stone with Warm Red accents. The white icons with Deep Forest accents should only be used on Warm Red backgrounds within PowerPoint presentations.
To ensure clarity and consistency, no other color combinations should be used.
Simplified icons
Our Simplified icons contain fewer details than our Expressive icons and are optimized for smaller displays and digital contexts.
Approved color combinations:
Our Simplified icons are available as monochrome (single-color) icons in Dark Stone, Deep Forest or white, or as duotone (two-color) icons in Dark Stone with Warm Red accents.
Color become crucial when scaling down Simplified icons. If you are using Simplified icons at a small scale, always use a monochrome option with a high-contrast background to ensure legibility.
Download our full
Kyndryl iconography library
Our library of Expressive and Simplified icons is available in multiple formats to support different needs. Our PowerPoint icons are specially formatted for easy, seamless use in slides, while our Designer icons are intended for all other designed assets and include JPG, PNG, SVG and Adobe Illustrator files.
Kyndryl Way icons
In addition to our standard Expressive and Simplified icons, we have created six special icons to represent our Kyndryl Way culture attributes. These icons are limited use, for internal assets only.
Accessibility
Duotone icons — including all Expressive icons and two-color Simplified icons — are not accessible and should only be used for decorative or illustrative purposes. When an icon is functional, use the monotone (single-color) Simplified icons and place them on an accessible background.
Do
When an icon is used to help an individual perform an action or understand the content on a web page, the icon color against the background must meet the minimum color contrast requirement of Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) section 4.5.1.
Don't
Unapproved color combinations that do not meet accessibility requirements
