Press for Magic: The Iconography of Sparkles in AI Tools

This post was written by Informatics Web & Design Director Jeff Stephens.

Artificial intelligence is everywhere, and you've likely pressed a “magic button” many times already. Once reserved for wizards and fairy tales, the sparkle is now the symbol of AI's quick, transformative power. The magic sparkle button has arrived.

Sparkling Icons: A New Player in UI Design

Icons have long been essential in guiding users through software interfaces. We all know the floppy disk (okay, maybe not Gen Z), but even if you're too young to remember saving files to it, you recognize its meaning instantly. Same for the magnifying glass—tap to search.

So how do you indicate a quick and generative enhancement? Enter the sparkle.

This magic button can be found in ChatGPT, Spotify, Google’s Gemini, Facebook, and a myriad of other popular tools and programs. The choice of the sparkle is not by accident—it suggests “quick magic” or “make it happen” in an intuitive, and immediate way.

And now, this has become the dominant visual symbol for AI-driven actions. As apps and companies scramble to say “we’ll take it from here,” the magic sparkle has joined the pantheon of ubiquitous iconography of daily life.

Pressing the Sparkle: AI’s Visual Cue Across Platforms

You’re likely to encounter the magic sparkles in any number of apps. Here are a few common examples and how each app integrates this now-iconic visual.

Facebook Messenger

In Facebook Messenger, AI is represented by a “magic pencil.” With a single tap on this sparkle-adorned icon, your ordinary response is instantly transformed into something sharper.

Messenger takes it a step further by offering modifiers like “Rephrase” or “Make Funnier”—each with its own icon—allowing you to fine-tune your message with just another tap.

ChatGPT

Depending on the version of ChatGPT you're using, the “magic” may manifest differently. Currently, the “Get Plus” button is marked by a subtle yet meaningful star-like sparkle. It’s simple, effective, and almost universal at this point.

Hubspot

Hubspot gives us a half-sparkle (paired with a smaller one) for its Breeze AI tool. Even though it’s slightly abstracted, the sparkle is still there, hinting at effortless, AI-driven speed.

Canva

Here, Canva deviates a bit with its search icon—sparkles added for that magical touch of “we’ll find anything your creative heart desires.” The effect is clever and visually distinct.

Gemini by Google

Gemini by Google uses the sparkle icon as the avatar for its AI during conversations. This simple visual signals the AI’s presence, reinforcing its role as your intuitive assistant.

These apps, and many more, have co-opted the sparkle to signify the seamless power of AI—an almost effortless transformation of tasks at hand.

Why the Sparkle Icon is Here to Stay

If you’ve ever worked in design, you’re likely familiar with Jakob’s Law: users expect systems to work in the same way as the ones they already know. When an icon catches on, it’s more than a trend—it’s part of how people expect all software to work.

The sparkle has reached that point. Trying to introduce a new icon for AI tasks would feel like reinventing the wheel—there’s no need, and frankly, users wouldn’t go for it.

Imagine debuting a new AI feature, but instead of using a sparkle, you try a robot icon or a star. It wouldn’t land the same way. Users wouldn’t immediately associate it with what AI is supposed to do, and that split second of confusion can hurt the experience. The sparkle, for all its simplicity, works. It’s direct, intuitive, and (now) instantly recognizable.

This is why the sparkle icon isn’t going anywhere. It’s become the AI symbol precisely because it doesn’t need explaining. And in the fast-paced world of UX, where every click matters, it has won the day.

Sparkles as the Face of AI

Here we are, living in a world where sparkles have been wrestled away from the realm of fairies and wizards and assigned to something far less magical: software UX. But as a designer, there’s real joy in watching a visual iconography take shape before our eyes.

The real tragedy? The poor wizards and princesses will have to share their magic sparkles with AI. Sorry kids, those twinkling stars now belong to your software.

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