App Icon Design: Creating Icons That Stand Out

Simplicity Wins

Icons are viewed at tiny sizes. Good icons focus on a single shape or concept. Remove clutter and unnecessary details.

Design as a vector. Test your icon at 20px (settings menu) and 1024px (app store). It must be recognizable at all sizes.

Use vibrant colors to stand out on various wallpapers. Ensure sufficient contrast between the foreground object and background.

iOS icons are squarcles. Android uses Adaptive Icons (circle, square, squarcle). Don't bake the mask into the artwork.

Text is unreadable on icons. Use the "first letter" or a symbol instead. Your app name is already displayed below the icon.

Icons drastically affect conversion. A/B test variants using Play Store Experiments. A 10% conversion lift is significant.

Update icons for holidays or major events. It signals the app is active and often boosts re-engagement.