Rules to make your icons clear and intuitive and improve your UI design

Areteworks provides a list of rules that GUI designers should follow to ensure that users can identify and understand the meaning behind icons being used in your user interface design. Some of the rules listed for icon generation include always labeling your icons when space permits, making sure your icons have a consistent visual motif, and avoiding using icons that are too metaphoric. Unfortunately, what the article does not go into is how to convey these same rules effectively to clients who have a different vision in mind for their product.