Conditional formatting icon sets are a way to visually represent data trends and performance within your Excel spreadsheet. Instead of just color-coding cells, you can use icons like arrows, stars, or faces to provide a more intuitive and engaging way to understand your data at a glance.

Here's how to use them:

1. Select your data range: Choose the cells where you want to apply the icon set formatting.

2. Go to Conditional Formatting: Navigate to the "Home" tab on the Excel ribbon. In the "Styles" group, click the dropdown arrow under "Conditional Formatting."

3. Choose Icon Sets: From the dropdown menu, hover over "Icon Sets" to see the available icon set options. These might include arrows (indicating positive or negative trends), ratings (stars for performance), or faces (expressing good, bad, or neutral values).

4. Pick a set and format: Click on the icon set you want to use. Excel will automatically apply a three-point scale to your data, with icons assigned to represent low, medium, and high values.

5. Customize the rules (optional): You can adjust how the icons are assigned to your data by clicking on "Manage Rules" within the Conditional Formatting menu. This allows you to:

- Change the formatting thresholds for each icon.
- Modify the specific icons used for different value ranges.
- Set custom formatting options for each icon (e.g., color, size).

Benefits of using icon sets:

* Easy to understand: Icons provide a quick visual cue, making it easier to grasp data trends compared to just color coding.
* Highlight key metrics: Use icons to emphasize critical data points or performance indicators.
* Improve data presentation: Icon sets can enhance the overall visual appeal of your spreadsheet.

Here are some additional points to consider:

* Icon sets work best when your data has a clear order or ranking (e.g., sales figures, performance scores).
* You can combine icon sets with other conditional formatting rules like color scales for even richer data visualization.
* Experiment with different icon sets to find what best suits your data and audience.

By effectively using conditional formatting icon sets, you can transform your spreadsheet into a more informative and engaging data analysis tool.