App icons are the first thing you see when you download and open an app, so they have to be eye-catching. They need to have your app’s meaning and purpose. The only way your app icon can show this is if it communicates a message or goal that your users will relate to.
You have to think about what makes a great logo. With the right design, it's easy for people to remember your brand and get what you're trying to say to better understand who your target audience is. App icons are no different than any other logo as far as how they should be designed and created for flawless results. This blog post shares nine steps that will help you create beautiful app icons for your company's mobile device apps.
What Makes a Great App Icon?
App icons are the first thing people see before and after download your app. You want to make sure that the first impression is great, and you don't have to worry about it with a little bit of preparation.
The design process for an app icon begins with understanding who you're designing for: What makes up their identity? What do they like? How do they feel? What do they want? Thinking about these things helps you shape your design choices and understand how the icon will fit into their experience of using your mobile application.
The major steps in creating an app icon are: defining your brand, finding inspiration, considering color, making decisions on design style, scoping out copyrights, brainstorming on symbols and icons, coming up with a concept, sketching out ideas on paper or digitally and finalizing the design process in Illustrator.
1. Create a Branding Identity
The value of a well-designed logo is that it communicates your brand's identity to your customers. If you don't have a logo, you can still make your app icon eye-catching by utilizing other design elements. Whether you choose an abstract or a realism design, they both have their strengths and weaknesses. Define a color palette, font, and elements that will reflect your app. And make sure you apply the same branding materials for any designing need.
2. Analyze Your App's Purpose
Before you begin creating your app icon, you have to know what your company's purpose is. You'll need to figure out what your target audience wants and what they're looking for to create an effective app icon.
Now that you've thought about your purpose, it's time to start thinking about how best to represent that memorably.
Some of the things you could consider when designing your app icon are:
- The color scheme, size and shape of the icon
- The style of the icon
- What function of the icon will be conveyed (animation or static)
- How much detail should be included in the design
3. Identify the Right Colors for Your Brand
We can't underestimate the power of color in branding. It's one of the essential elements to creating a successful logo, and app icons are no exception. The right colors can help your brand stand out from its competitors while also reaching your target audience and attracting new customers.
When deciding on the colors for your app icon, you have to think about what makes it great. What do you want your logo to say? If you want people to remember your brand or if you want to attract new customers, your logo's colors need to be unique, memorable and eye-catching.
The color scheme for an app icon can vary depending on what type of product or service it is. For example, apps that offer financial products might use dark colors like red, black, and purple because these colors provide a sense of security and strength. Apps that offer food might use bright colors like yellow and green because these schemes are inviting and energetic.
Whatever color scheme you decide on for your app icon, make sure it communicates something about your business that will make people remember you!
4. Consider sizes when designing
App icons that are too small can create a cluttered look and easily be missed. On the other hand, app icons that are too big can seem overly busy and lose focus on what your app is about. Both of these mistakes are not only distracting; they also prevent your users from understanding why they should download your app in the first place.
Instead, ensure that you're creating an icon that is appropriate for the size of its surrounding space. Most importantly, make sure it's eye-catching enough to catch people's attention and get them to download your app.
For example, if you were designing an app icon for a health care company, you might want to think about the scale of its logo using a stethoscope or a prescription bottle as reference points. This would help give context to a potential user on what your company does for their patients in regards to health care. If you were designing an app icon for an e-commerce website, you might want to think about how clear it is for what it does and how easy it will be for people to understand without scrolling through pages of information.
