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What is the best practice for testing which potential App logo is the best?

I program an Android App and want to choose an effective App logo. When browser the Android store for potential Apps the user sees the Logo, the App name and the Developer name. That isn’t much information, so I want to choose an Logo that’s likely to lead to increased App downloads.

Running A/B tests within the App or on a website that I control is fairly easy, but I can’t think of a good way to run the A/B test between multiple potential logo in this case. Is there a best practice how how to test App logos?

Answer 11926

To achieve great results, keep in mind the following tips for creative app icon design:

Follow guideline requirements

Icons are not just beautiful images meant to please the eye, they are viewed inside the graphical interface of the certain operating system. They should look naturally to the interface, harmoniously co-exist with other app icons and yet bear some uniqueness. That’s why you start app icon development with familiarizing yourself with guidelines from the OS manufacturer and looking at icon grid samples for Photoshop.

Here’re some guidelines to start with:

Official website on Android Material Design. Here you can learn about style, animation, components, patterns, layout, usability and download reference materials for designers.iOS Human Interface Guidelines from Apple will be of service if you want to create app icon for iPad or iPhone.



These guidelines will give you an idea of general principles and recommended practices.

  1. Make sure you know your audience

App icon design for a local company like meal delivery service is going to be different from an icon for company entering an international market. In the last case you’ve got to be sure that symbols you use are universal for people with different cultural background and won’t offend anyone:



  1. Create your icon in original size

Icon looking nice in big size won’t necessarily impress as much when re-sized to 120 x 120 pixels. It should be taken into account when working on professional icon design.

  1. Simplify and get rid of unnecessary details

The more fancy details your add, the less recognizable your icon will be. Ideally it should be something close to a symbol: simple and comprehensible. For example, here’s an icon we’ve made for app with recipes:



  1. Use lights and shadows right

Lights and shadows are something to think about when working on an app icon design for Android. Guide on Android Material explains this aspect in great detail. It also lists values for shadows casted by objects of different colors.



  1. Check whether icon looks its best on various backgrounds (dark, light, colored)

In market your icon will be displayed on white or light-grey background but it is only wise to check whether it looks good on popular backgrounds of different color since users like to personalize their home screen wallpapers.

  1. Be brave and use perspective

Standardization is good only to a certain point. Utilizing perspective you can achieve interesting results and help your app icon design become more vivid and fresh. Here’s an excellent example of using perspective to attract attention:



  1. Create a unique form

App icons below are memorable thanks to the interesting forms used on them:



Those forms help users to recognize the icon even when it is displayed in small size.

  1. Use less colors

Once you start adding colors, it’s hard to stop. That’s why you should make sure you stick to as little as two or three colors — it would be enough. Here’s a good example of icon using only two colors:



  1. Don’t use photos

There’re great photorealistic icons out there but using actual photos is a taboo.



  1. Avoid using too much text

Firstly, tiny text is hard to read. Secondly, it creates localization problems when the company decides to launch its app on a new market (think China or South Korea with their unique writing systems). But you can still use the first letter of your app name, just like Tumblr or Pinterest do:



  1. Don’t use interface elements on your icon

It’s a very bad idea confusing app users. Graphical control elements shouldn’t be placed there.

  1. Create icons introducing main feature of the app

Good icon tells users what app function is and allows him or her to skip descriptions that tend to be lengthy and include too much extra information. Music players often use notes, music instruments or visualizers, cameras — lenses or photo cameras. Messengers like Viber go with conversation bubbles:



On UARoads icon we have shown two important aspects of the app: transferring data to server and its driver-oriented nature:



  1. Look at the icons of competitors

Despite the previous tip you should first check icons of the main competitors. They have probably already used the more obvious representations of the main function. Try to bring more originality. Take example from Wunderlist icon that stands out among the rest of standard to-do list applications:



And here’s an icon we’ve made for a KeepSnap app used by photographers:



As you can see, even a small image representing your app in the store needs careful consideration. Good app icon design attracts attention of users who were searching market for another application entirely.



Changing icon of a popular application is a serious business as well. For example internet radio player Radium had to change icon several times since new design wasn’t welcomed well by existing users.

Answer 11878

First of all, have you done a basic Logo test to assess your logo design? How good is your logo is one of the many articles out there about good logo design. Ensure the logos you have fit the criteria for good logo design (simple, visible, memorable, distinctive, etc.).

Afterwards, I would just go to family and friends and ask for their opinion. You could also put the logos on facebook and ask for feedback.

Answer 12513

Obviously the best is an app icon that stands out of from the crowd of other icons. And I assume that with "logo" you adres the icon? You can perform some A-B tests but they will only be helpful if you compare your icon/logo with your competition. I used to make a big sheet with competing icons and place my own artwork inside of it. If it catches your eye, then you've got your best working logo/icon.

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