An app icon can be the user’s first interaction with your app. An attractive app icon will increase downloads by 560%. We all are aware of the phrase “The First Impression Is the Last Impression” which is why we should make the most of this little opportunity we get. Read the whole article to understand which app icon designs would suit your brand strongly.
Based on recent trends in the market here are 10 Stunning ideas for your app icons :
1: Outline Icon Style :
The Outline icon appears on the outer edges of the objects making them more clean and modern. Icons have ‘Characteristic Cues’ that should be visible to the user. For eg Key teeth are the characteristic cues of the key icon. In outline icon style the characteristic cues are more visible and neat.
2: Solid App icon design
Solid icons are more recognizable by the viewer as they increase the task speed of the viewer. Solid icons are more realistic as they look like shadows of real-life objects.
Icons that consist of narrow spacing are faster to recognize in solid style. It becomes easy for the user to recognize a solid icon as they are used to seeing solid app icon designs.
3: Flat Icon Style
Flat icon style is a simple design approach with a two-dimensional layout that puts the priority on usability. In Flat icon style shapes and designs are used compared to an object or a figure making it unique.
Simple is always the Better choice, so Flat Icons have been a huge success in the market. Microsoft was first to adopt the Flat Icon in Windows 8 and is still in use with its latest operating system Windows 10.
Earlier every single icon/button used to have a shine to it but Flat icons are soothing to the viewer’s eye and get the work done in style. Some people even recommend that Flat icons are the solution to all your app icons/buttons, maybe this can be the change that you need to grow your audience and reach of your brand.
4: Colored Icon Style
Color-filled shiny icons have been in the market for too long now. In the early 2010s, every app on the play store had a vibrant and shiny icon for their brand and the people used to love it. It’s more like filling the cavities of the Outline Font Style with colors.
When it comes to marketing the Colours used are very crucial. People love color, different colors trigger various kinds of emotions in People. The red color is associated with danger or warning, Grey color is used to suggest shadows while the black color is used to show a powerful message.
Reports suggest that Blue is the most popular color on the app store while most of the food & drink apps use red color. Studies suggest that red color is associated with hunger and developers use this human intuition to their advantage. A theory by a journal contradicts this statement but the psychology and theory behind colors are very crucial when it comes to making app icon designs for your app.
If you are confused and need help with colors then you can Google search ” Colors and their meanings”. A color that describes your brand will be louder than the one that looks good to you
5: Badge Icon Style
The Badge icon style is one of the most expressive icon styles. As the name suggests the usual shape is round or curved and in some scenarios, some part of the foreground extends outside the enclosed part. An icon like this is easy to recognize and it often comes with a feeling or a sign thereby helping the viewer in their needs.
Badges are used to share information such as warnings, information, errors, and success. In the early 2000s Badge icons were in demand and the majority of the brands used badge icons but in recent times the use of Badge icons is decreasing because of new and better trends in the market. Despite that Badge icon style made this list because ” Creativity is intelligence having fun “if you don’t want to follow the trends start them.
6: Shadow Icon Style
A little tweak in your Flat icon with a shadow or the darker part that forms a partition with a thin line into two parts. This makes one part of your icon brighter than the other. The shadow portion may go vertical, horizontal, or in any direction as per your requirements.
Social Media platforms such as Twitter, Telegram, Facebook, Tumblr, Yahoo, and many more companies use this kind of app icon design. It’s simple and easy, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t try it.
7: Material Design Icon style
It is available for free without any hassle this is one of the best options if you don’t want to spend time on development.
Material Icon styles are beautiful pre-made icons that are optimized on all resolutions and platforms. Every icon is clean and simple keeping in mind the Universal Standards and Concepts used commonly through a User Interface. Icons are available in several formats to suit the use of the developer.
Each Icon is available in SVG and PNG formats, a complete set of these icons are available on the git repository as well as on Material Icon Library. Every icon is free to use under Apache License Version 2.0. Every developer loves attribution and so they too but it is not compulsory to attribute them. Do not re-sell these icons as this will violate the Apache License 2.0.
8: Gradient Icon style
A gradient icon style is one in which colors generally fade into themselves. The main objective of using the Gradient style is to blend the colors that enhance the icon to leave a better impression as compared to solid colors.
Every big brand uses the Gradient icon style as it makes the icon stand out adding realism to the object. Gradients are realistic and eye-catching because of blended colors which we’re not used to seeing. Just remember one thing, never Overdo it!
9: 3D app icon designs
A Three-Dimensional can be more interactive than the flat icons. It helps the user understand the brand by giving a high visual impact. An ordinary icon can turn into something exceptional by adding a small 3D element in its design because the designer should keep it subtle and clean for the best results.
A 3D icon is more eye-catching and compelling for the viewers in comparison with flat icons as it is more creative and elegant. Making a perfect 3D icon is a difficult task and can require many sleepless nights to design them. Only people who are well aware of designing should go for a 3D icon or else they can hire a firm to design it for them, an expert can always do it better.
10: Hand-drawn Icon Style
Old is Gold! Mankind has been using hands to scribble and express themselves before they started speaking. An African cave has a red line on a stone which is about 73,000 years old. Drawing is the first form of art humans embraced and it still exists with use even after thousands of years.
A hand-drawn app icon designs are instantly recognizable with a simple shape and structure that easily helps people understand the brand. The beauty of a hand-drawn icon is in its imbalance and asymmetry. You won’t be able to see perfect edges or curves here and still it will be perfect to the eye. Many Startups are embracing the idea of a hand-drawn or doodle icon style. Hand-drawn icons are unique and can help them stand out from their competitors.
Knowledge of designing is a must if you want to go for this icon style. Creativity is the key to achieve maximum fruits out of this icon style.
