It's really a bad thing to have the same icon in distinct functions?

1. What are conflicting icons?
2. Why is icon important?
3. What are the 3 types of icon?
4. What can I use instead of icons?

What are conflicting icons?

In some cases, you'll have to decide between multiple icons that commonly represent a single concept. These are called conflicting icons. For example, to like a post on Facebook you'd use a thumbs up, but on Instagram it's a heart, and on still other sites it's a star.

Why is icon important?

Icons are an essential part of many user interfaces, visually expressing objects, actions and ideas. When done correctly, they communicate the core idea and intent of a product or action, and they bring a lot of nice benefits to user interfaces, such as saving screen real estate and enhancing aesthetic appeal.

What are the 3 types of icon?

There are three sorts of icons: “popular,” “conflicting” and unique icons.

What can I use instead of icons?

In the battle of clarity between icons and labels, labels always win. — Labels always win. “When in doubt, always remember this: the best icon is a text label.”