Designing the perfect app icon can be stressful. After all, anytime someone glances at your app icon, they will think of you and your app! No pressure right? We have put together a few helpful tips to alleviate some of the stress when it comes to app icon design. Your icon will be the first impression of your app and will reflect directly on you and your brand. Whether you are working with a design team or creating an app icon on your own, this guide will help build the best icon for your custom real estate app.
It is important to remember that an app icon is not the same as a logo! While they both use similar elements of branding and both need to be scalable, they are used for very different applications. However, if you already have a logo, what better way to showcase elements of your branding than through your realtor app icon?
App icons are meant to be an artistic representation of the product. They should give the user a general idea of what the your app and service is all about. Think of your icon as a small, simplified element of your branding. Also, they are generally kept on a very small scale with specific dimensions.
A logo helps create brand identity and allows that company to become recognizable. It is essentially the “face” of the brand. They convey a company’s values, evoke emotion from the consumer and allow for instant brand recognition. It also can be used on any scale. For example, we see the Disney on billboards and on the name tags of cast members. Either way, it doesn’t lose its impact and that logo still has us dying to go to Disneyland.
Your app icon should coincide with the look and feel of the rest of your app and your brand. Your branding, login screen, app color, and app name should all be taken into account when designing your real estate app icon. Having a unique design for your icon is going to help make it successful. It needs to grab attention in a small amount of space, so it is important for its design to stand out.
Think of what makes you and your brand unique. Are there any shapes, colors or symbols representative of you that you could use? Keep in mind that you want to design something that will be attractive to your target audience. Who will be using your app? Do they seem to fit with the design aesthetic you have created?
Think of the most popular apps today and which of them have your favorite app icons. Why do you like them and why? Are they easier for you to pick out when you look at your phone screen?
Make sure that any symbols on your icon directly reflect what your app is all about. This will give your client or a new user a better idea of what to expect from your application. For example, if your real estate app name is Newport Beach Home Search, you could have a magnifying glass or a palm tree on your logo. This is a simple way to convey what your real estate app does.
Try to avoid using a picture as your app icon. As yours will be one of thousands of other app icons, you want it to be differentiated and help create a unique brand for yourself. Your real estate agent app is an incredibly powerful tool for your users, why not take advantage of its design?
Pick a simple color palette for your icon and try to stick to one or two complementary colors. Too many colors can look too overwhelming or chaotic. Play around with some of your favorite colors and ones that match your theme. If you have a general idea, see how your icon would look on different wallpapers. Would it stand out from the rest?
Keep it simple! Make sure there aren’t too many different elements, while also making sure the icon isn’t bland. Keep in mind that this icon will be on a very small scale. So try to limit the amount of words, if you chose to use any at all. If it looks too busy, it can take away for the effectiveness and impact of the design. You can use the name of your app in the actual logo as long as it doesn’t look too crowded. Don’t forget, you still have about 12 characters worth of space for the area directly underneath your icon to work with as well.
“Shaping a sleek, unified image of your app in the user’s mind increases product satisfaction, retention and virality. In short, getting your icon to work harmoniously with the essence, functionality and design of your application is a big win.”
Whether you icon is very simple or creative and colorful, we don’t doubt that your icon will capture YOU as well as your audience. We hope these tips help steer you in the right direction. If you want some ideas to get started with an app for real estate agents or inspiration for app icons, follow us!
