Dingbats

• Audit usage and ensure legibility at different sizes and on dark/light backgrounds.
• Use a consistent dingbat set and align with your design system’s iconography.
• Provide accessible fallbacks or aria-hidden for purely decorative symbols.
• Match stroke, weight, and spacing to surrounding text for a cohesive look.
• Prefer using high-contrast, clearly recognizable glyphs rather than obscure marks to avoid ambiguity.

Dingbats are decorative symbols drawn from a Unicode range that historically appeared as ornaments in printed work. In digital design, they function as icons or bullets rather than letters. They are often used to add visual interest or quick visual cues without introducing new assets.

Typical usage includes decorative bullets, inline icons, or UI adornments that don’t require precise meaning. Because dingbats vary across platforms, designers should test across devices and pair them with clear labels when they convey action or information. Pitfalls include inconsistent rendering, accessibility gaps, and overreliance on symbols that may be unfamiliar to users. For broader context, explore related blocks like Geometric Shapes, Arrows, Currency Symbols, and Box Drawing to see how abstract marks map to UI components.