Three simple suggestions that will help to improve Your icon design

Every app needs a beautiful and memorable icon that will attract attention in the app store and on your home screen. At the same time, the application icon needs to be useful for your users.

What it takes to make a quality icon perfect aesthetics? It is not so difficult, here's three simple rules you need to follow:

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1. Icon design should be recognizable

Icon in the first place should be to convey the meaning of your app. People should not spend the time to understand what this application.

Icon — this is the first opportunity to communicate with the user to at first glance you can understand the purpose of your application. When designing icons, keep in mind a very important point: icons exchange ideas through metaphorical associations — the user associates the icon with the specified object or action — if this object or action is not immediately clear to users, it just doesn't work. So, just to make your icons intuitive:

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• do Not use abstract icons, abstract icons rarely work well. The user may not rely upon previous experience to understand the meaning of the icon. Icon Game Center is an excellent example of this problem. The icon is a group of colorful, glassy circles. It looks nice, but people are usually surprised and at a loss wondering what this icon means.
  
  
  
  
  
  
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• Use icons that are easily recognizable by consumers. There are a few icons that enjoy universal recognition of the user, such as Home, print, magnifier, envelope. For example, the Gmail app icon uses an envelope, which is synonymous with mail.
  
  
  

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2. Strive for minimalism

Locate the item that reflects the essence of your app and Express that element, removing all unnecessary. One of the great Italian sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti was asked: — "How do you do your sculptures?". In response, he said: — "I take a stone and cut off all superfluous". The same thing happens with icons. Remove all the excess details that are not important for your icon, and it will make sense.

Most designers want their icons looked great. But sometimes they start to overdo it and add their own icons too much specific detail. Such parts may cause noise which will disturb people and affect usability:

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• do Not add the icon irrelevant words that follow the application name or telling people what to do with your app like "watch" or "play" or time of the action to add information such as "free". Use words only when they are really necessary or if it is part of the logo.
  
  
  
  
  
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• do Not add photographic detail because they are difficult to see at small sizes.
  
  
  
  
  
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• do Not use 3D models on the application icon.
  
  
  
  
  

The balance in detail is more important in the design of your icons and intuitive:

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• When you use a specific object for your icon, which highlights several characteristics.
  
  
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• icon Design, which immediately attracts attention and conveys the essence of the application.
  
  
  
  
  

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3. Test your icon on different backgrounds

Icons should be clear on any background.
If you've designed your recognizable and the minimalist icon, it does not mean that the process of creating icons has been completed. The icon should be legible on any background. You can't predict what a background Wallpaper people will choose for your screen, so you have to see how it looks on different photos:

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• In the example below, the icon "Stocks" is barely visible on the dark background.
  
  
  
  
  
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• Ensure that your icon is opaque.
  
  
  
  
  
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• Try your icon on a real device dynamic background.

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Conclusion

Now take time to create a beautiful and attractive icon that will perfectly represent your application.

Article based on information from habrahabr.ru