Users around the world installed around 120 billion mobile apps in 2019. According to forecasts, the use of mobile applications will generate $189 billion in revenue in 2020. Isn't that impressive? Let's continue: The average mobile device owner uses about 30 programs every month. He/she selects and installs them from 2.8 million applications for Android or 2.2 million applications for iOS. Do you know which criteria the user uses to make a selection?
What does a mobile application need an icon for?
The icon of a mobile application helps to find a specific program among the hundreds of thousands of offers from the competition. It's the first thing a user sees when browsing a store or searching for a specific program. If you make the icon compelling, then it will help get the app installed more often. However, a poor quality icon does exactly the opposite: it raises doubts and repels potential customers.
The application icon is a unique image that, along with the original name, is a mandatory part of the program. If the program is already installed, then the icon has a different purpose. Then it serves to recognize the program among others on the device. A good symbol adequately fulfills all functions. Let's find out what is considered a good picture.
6 tips for creating an effective icon for mobile applications
1. General Requirements
An important rule: create an icon based on official recommendations from developers of mobile operating systems. There are open Apple guidelines and tips for designers of Android products. Development should take into account these standards and the requirements listed below.
2. Scalability
The mobile application icon is displayed on the shop page and it can be seen in a smaller version in the submenu. When the program is installed, it will be displayed in the smartphone menu. The image size will be different in each case. This depends on many factors, including screen resolution and settings . The image creator should ensure that the recognition value and the details are retained with all display options. You can check this factor using the Appsparky service.
3. Uniqueness
Originality is an important requirement for a mobile application icon. Copyright infringement will cause problems. Uniqueness is also a necessary attribute when competing for user attention. Try the following to get a unique application icon:
Here is an example of adopting another identity. The images may look unique, but they still resemble the original. The first picture shows the icons of MS Office programs:
The second picture shows similar programs from LibreOffice:
4. Detectability
Users should understand everything presented on a mobile application icon without further explanation. Nothing should be an obstacle, neither the language a person speaks nor the country in which they live. The easier the symbol is to understand, the more effective it is. The YouTube logo in the form of a stylized play button is easily recognized by most users:
5. Minimum of letters
You can use letters and abbreviations in your own program logo if your brand identity has been developed over a long period of time and is familiar and recognizable to people. For example, people recognize the letter "f" as a Facebook symbol at first glance. If brand imagery isn't that developed yet, then you should look for another option.
Designers advise omitting the words in the symbols altogether. General Opinion: If visual elements need to be complemented by letters, then they have not been developed well. A few more reasons not to use letters in the picture:
An exception is when the brand's logo consists of letters and they are written in a distinctive, recognizable style. This is what the developers of Biugo did, for example (the icon for their video editing program Noizz can be seen in the example):
6. Logo and functionality as a whole
The user should perceive the icon and the interface of the mobile application equally. The appropriate icon is part of the overall concept of the software, its holistic image and ideas. The requirements are therefore:
The IconTester service gives you the opportunity to check how the icon looks on different background options.
The trends of modern application icons
Design requirements change annually. The user interface comes first: optimization of the external elements for customer satisfaction. How does this affect the app icon? After analyzing the trends for 2020, we give the following recommendations for image development:
How to develop an icon for an Android app
The application icon for Android apps has to be developed considering the screen resolutions and the current settings of the device. Android uses the DPI value to measure graphics quality, which is the number of dots per inch (dots per inch). A distinction can be made between the following values:
Installed application icon requirements
The image for launching the program must be created in PNG format (32-bit), on a transparent background. The level of detail depends on the DPI value. The minimum value for MDPI is 48dp, with a margin of 1dp. For other indicators, the following values are relevant (in pixels):
|
HDPI |
XHDPI |
XXHDPI |
XXXHDPI |
|---|---|---|---|
|
72 |
96 |
144 |
192 |
The standards for icons to upload to Google Play
The icon size for the mobile program is 512×512 pixels with high resolution. The icon displayed in Google Play has a different size than the icon used for the installed application. More recommendations:
Recommendations for development
How to create an icon for an Android app? Here are a few tips:
It is important that the Android app icon helps to solve a specific problem. For example, an icon with corporate symbols makes branding easier. An image with an original, attractive design will attract users.
How to create an icon for an iOS app?
The iPhone application icon needs to be developed in two versions: small and large. The first is displayed after installation (in the system and on the main screen). The second is for the Apple Store. This table contains all icon size recommendations:
|
device |
Spotlight icon size |
|---|---|
|
iPhone |
120px×120px (40pt×40pt @3x) |
|
80px×80px (40pt×40pt @2x) |
|
|
iPad Pro, iPad, iPad mini |
80px×80px (40pt×40pt @2x) |
|
device |
Settings icon size |
|---|---|
|
iPhone |
87px×87px (29pt×29pt @3x) |
|
58px×58px (29pt×29pt @2x) |
|
|
iPad Pro, iPad, iPad mini |
58px×58px (29pt×29pt @2x) |
|
device |
Notifications icon size |
|---|---|
|
iPhone |
60px×60px (20pt×20pt @3x) |
|
40px×40px (20pt×20pt @2x) |
|
|
iPad Pro, iPad, iPad mini |
40px×40px (20pt×20pt @2x) |
You will need to develop several small icons for different iOS devices . Of course, the difference should only be in size, that is, there should be no visual differences. The main requirements for the symbols are:
Don't add a frame to the icon. This is done automatically in the form of a 1-pixel indent.
iOS app icon standards
Here are a few rules:
Services for creating an application logo
Would you like to develop an icon for a mobile application yourself? We have selected several services that will help you with this.
Icons Flow
This is an image editor that allows you to create original style images online. You can choose the colors and details and you can upload and edit your own image. Even an average person will understand the simple interface.
makeappicon
An online icon generator for the major mobile platforms with the correct settings. You can upload your image and the website will create various modern logo options based on that image.
An online service and logo generator. The service generates several dozen unique logo options with just two clicks. You can choose a theme and color scheme, edit your favorite picture and download it on different backgrounds and sizes
Font Awesome
This is a great photo editor for mobile apps and social media. It offers a variety of templates and settings for creating an original icon.
Conclusion
The application icon is the main visual element influencing the user's decisions. The perfect icon is based on a unique, interesting and attractive image that meets the standards of mobile operating system developers. You can contact a designer or use modern services to create a suitable icon for your program. Modern services allow you to create high-quality images that meet current needs.
Do you find it difficult to show your designs to customers or peers? Are you sick of showcasing your work with simple, uninteresting images? If so, prototypes could provide the answer you're searching for. We'll talk about using prototypes to raise the caliber of your design in this article.
The volume of the IT outsourcing market has been growing steadily for several years. This is evidenced by numerous studies of global consulting companies.
Smartphones and tablets are hugely popular these days. They can replace many individual devices: simple mobile phones that you only use for making calls and
The digital age means that private data is also used and traded. A growing number of Internet users are already making their mark
If you work with the computer for a long time, you certainly know the problem. You create many folders around e.g. B. to store and sort your data. It
Have you forgotten or lost the WiFi password? If a Windows 11 computer or laptop is connected to the WiFi network, you then have the
If you work with Office Word from Microsoft, then it can happen that you also want to use special characters. But where do you find the symbols? How sets
With Microsoft Outlook you can send and receive e-mail. In addition to the e-mail function, you can also enter appointments and contacts. If they
The threat of viruses on the Internet is as old as the worldwide web itself. Nowhere is it easier to access sensitive data than on a computer
Even an Amazon Fire TV Stick can become slow over time. There is nothing annoying if navigating the menu is stuttering or the applications take a long time
You use a variety of hardware in your day-to-day work. So that all work steps run smoothly and you satisfy the wishes of your customers
Do you actually know which programs or apps are accessing the Internet in the background? Windows 11 gives you the opportunity to find out which ones
Do you want to prevent certain programs from accessing the Internet? If yes, you must know that you can block them on Windows 11. In
You have money in your PayPal account and would like to transfer it to your bank account? No problem. PayPal offers this function and with that it is a
Is the hard disk MBR defective? Show how to fix corrupted MBR (Master Boot Record) with our step-by-step guide.
Windows 11How to pin programs to taskbar. With Windows 11, you have the option of adding programs that you use very frequently to the
In order to protect your account in Windows 10, it is advisable to change the password at regular intervals. If the option prompt for password
Some users report that Firefox browser flickers while browsing. This problem occurs when hardware acceleration is enabled. At this
As with Windows 10, the folders, pictures, desktop, documents, downloads, music and videos can also be found in Windows 11 under This PC.
By default, the date and time is displayed in the lower-right corner of the taskbar. When you click on it, the time, date and current month
