Enough with tech talks! Let’s have some out of the track subject and give some space to creativity. While discussing mobile application development, the mobile app icon is the very first element you need to think about.
A beautiful design cannot be an app icon. Don’t take it as just another piece of graphic design. It’s the anchor of your app! It’s the first point of interaction when users visit the app stores. Not only that, it plays a key role in user engagement with creative shapes, attractive colors, and splendid design pattern. App icon interacts with the users when they visit the application stores. Not only that, it encourages them to install the app and use it again and again. Thus, app icon gives an identity to the mobile application so that users can recognize it instantly and not overlook.
What Does App Icon Mean to The Mobile Application?
The app icon is a small piece of your brand that represents the essence of your application. It requires being designed with extreme creativity without losing the conceptual aspects. Thus, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea to design a really great app icon for their app that seizes the eye of the target audience.
Why App Icon Needs Attention?
It’s proven that visual content appeals more than the written text. Icon is the first presentation of your app so don’t ignore the importance of the app icon by considering it just a random graphic art. It requires an impeccable design to represent your app in a completely innovative way.
Don’t Interpret App Icon as App Logo
Have you ever mistaken app icon as an app logo? Well, they are not similar. Both are the key components that signify a brand but in a quite different way.
The logo is the face of a company. Organizations use it in online and offline official publications such as documentation, visiting cards, website, etc. On the other hand, use of the app icon is limited to represent the mobile application on app stores. So, logo holds a quite legendary presence in comparison to the app icon. No doubt, they both are branding elements but they are designed and conceptualized with a different purpose.
Must Have Qualities of An App Icon
Uniqueness
Following a trend or stealing a concept is acceptable up to an extent. However, if you are planning to mimic the design elements of competitors, then forget about getting a tremendous response on app stores. By copying rivalry, you only hurt the reputation of your wonderful app. Being different is the only way to grab users’ attention as well as encourage them to download and open up the app.
When it comes to mobile application icon, you can play with the design to make it unique and appealing. To stand out of the crowd, go through an in-depth research. Use one colour background to make the logo attractive. Try different colours and composition and find new metaphors. Effective colour selection for the icon can help to reframe the concept.
Recognizability
Millions of apps are listed on different app stores. In such a tough competition, it’s a challenge for appreneurs to catch viewers’ attention to their app. Design an unmatchable icon that appeals to users’ emotional and function state. Create a simple design for the icon with a completely novel concept, design, and presentation. It will be more effective as users can easily store it in their memory and recall.
Scalability
The app icon is going to use in several places throughout the mobile platform. So, it is necessary that the app icon should maintain legibility. The icon requires to look good against different backgrounds. Create a scalable icon that can mix up in different places with no changes. Moreover, it should fit in different resolutions of various devices as well as in multiple sizes and context. Try to use single yet distinctive shape so the icon can scale gracefully.
Consistency
Set a consistency amongst the app icon and screens so that users can have similar experience throughout the mobile application. While developing an app, pay attention that the app interface and app icon support each other to establish a memorable encounter.
With a sleek and unified app icon, appreneurs can increase product satisfaction, virality, and user retention. Using the same color palettes and design language, mobile app owners can achieve the uniformity. Another way is to try the similar type of icons throughout the app in all the screenshots.
No Text
Don’t use long words. Keep the icon as simple as possible. Instead of the app name, you can use the first character of the app like Facebook, Vine, Venmo, etc.
Pick Vibrant Colors
Select vibrant color for the app icon and app interface. Try to choose a single or maybe two color palettes for the app icon and app design. It’s not that you can’t go for the multi color icon but it’s quite tough to pull off. So better to go with single color. Also, while choosing the background color of the icon, don’t forget about users’ wallpapers. Design a catchy art that highlight on the users’ screen no matter whatever image they have in the background.
A/B Testing
Create versions of your app icon with variations in terms of colors, size, obesity, brightness, etc. Also, test them before submitting on the application stores. There are tools to check out the users’ reactions about the app icon such as Pickfu and Five Second Test from UsabilityHub’s. Appreneurs can get the first opinion about the users’ liking and disliking. And accordingly, they can play safe to avoid failure after the app approval or app publishing on app stores.
Does your app icon contain all the above qualities? If yes, then enjoy the tremendous success of your business. And if not, then come to Intuz. We have a team of highly experienced mobile app designers who help you in creating an incredible app icon by following the guidelines provided by Apple and Android. We create amazing icons that connect users with the apps. To check out our design competencies, you can visit Dribble.
