I support a rich client line-of-business Windows application. Several of my forms have started to get bogged down with an array of buttons specific to that form. These buttons have historically been text only, mainly because it would be next to impossible to find stock icons to convey these buttons' meanings.
I'm looking for a new UI model for these buttons. I have the option of changing them into Office-style ribbon panels or of simply adding icons to each button to make them easier to find. In either case, though, I struggle to understand options for getting appropriate icons. Most of the icon libraries I own or have found on the web are too general for my needs, so I'd likely have to combine stock icons with custom-made ones (to maintain consistency), which can get expensive in a hurry.
I welcome any advice on a way around this icon concept. Or maybe advice on the best way to purchase custom icons that would match the aesthetic of an existing library.