While the terms icon and symbol are frequently used as if they mean the exact same thing, a minor distinction separates them. An icon acts as a direct, literal depiction of the actual object it denotes, and a symbol offers a conceptualised, abstract rendering of an idea. For example, an image of a hand paired with directional pointers functions as an icon because it physically mirrors a finger sliding across a screen. In contrast, a gear or cog wheel serves as a symbol, as it communicates the abstract notion of adjusting application settings. Both are often built as glyphs in an icon font, so designers can scale and style them like any other character.
Over time, several graphics that originated as realistic icons have transitioned into symbolic roles, exemplified by the classic floppy disk image that universally denotes saving data in modern applications. An even more abstract evolution is the three parallel horizontal lines stacked together, a geometric configuration that has become universally recognised as the representation for a digital navigation menu.
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