Completing Your Brand with a Favicon
Written June 6th, 2008 by Thomas AmesIn today’s corporate world there seems to be an emphasis on creating and maintaining a strong brand identity. Of course, as we all know, this isn’t a priority for everyone. We often get requests from doctors and nurses for shirts or other items with completely off-the-wall logos or additions to our logos. But sometimes it isn’t the big thing that makes a brand identity; it’s many small things that complete an already-existing brand identity. And for that reason, I’d like to introduce you to the favicon.
You all know what I’m talking about, but you might just not know it by name. James Yanek, Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, clued me in on the favicon during a conversation about a Web site. The favicon is the small icon you see in your Favorites/Bookmarks list. Firefox and some other browsers also allow the icon to be displayed in the address bar. While this is just an incredibly small part of a Web site, it’s big in terms of exposure: patients, visitors, and employees may have your Web site bookmarked, and the icon allows them to find it easily, not to mention it gives the site a more professional look and feel.
A quick survey of popular hospital Web sites I completed found that about half had a favicon. It seems to be somewhat overwhelming that community hospitals don’t while larger, more prominent hospitals do. But because the process of creating one isn’t difficult, I think it’s important to take the time to create one for your visitors. It will literally take you more time to read this article than to create the favicon.
So how do you get one? Easily! Numerous sites such as this one now allow you to simply upload an image (such as your organization’s logo) and will automatically convert it into a 16×16 icon. Or, to do it yourself with Photoshop, take a look at this nice tutorial.
While the favicon is a small part of the Web site, I’m always impressed by designers who took the time to complete the brand identity. And, I think, visitors also enjoy it not only for the aesthetics but also for the ability to easily differentiate sites on their bookmarks.
Are there any other reasons you would suggest creating a favicon?
June 6th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Well, honestly, I created one for our site a year or two ago mostly because I got tired of seeing favicon.ico showing up in my stats as a popular error. Browsers look for it automatically, I guess, and when they don’t find the file, it triggers an error, even though the user never knows it.
June 6th, 2008 at 11:34 am
That’s interesting.. hadn’t considered that before. I’ve never noticed favicon error, but I do know that browsers do automatically look for it. Very interesting, and a hilarious way to find out about it!
June 6th, 2008 at 3:57 pm
Is it delicious irony that neither Webiscope nor rwjuh.edu have implemented said favicon?
June 9th, 2008 at 7:50 am
I was hoping no one would notice!
June 10th, 2008 at 8:06 pm
I just created favicons for all our sites. I have to admit I get a tingly sensation whenever I see the little guy in the address bar. Somehow it has a validating effect, like a hood ornament on a luxury car.
June 12th, 2008 at 10:22 am
@marc - how’s that?
June 20th, 2008 at 8:30 am
[...] recent Webiscope post, Completing Your Brand with a Favicon, inspired me to comment on favicons. The canvas on which to express your brand is only 16×16 [...]