App Icon Inspiration: Stunning Designs + Tips to Create Yours

There was a time when having a mobile app was an optional move. A mobile-friendly website was considered to be enough to get the job done. However, trends have changed. That’s because mobile apps have one big edge – you’re always right there on the user’s screen. No disappearing from sight, no slipping from mind.

And that’s just the start. Push notifications, personalized experiences, access to more useful user data to better optimize sales funnels – the benefits of mobile apps are endless. That’s why mobile apps have gone from optional to essential. And what’s the first thing that people notice about any app? The app icon! 

In short, the app icon is the first virtual handshake that either takes the conversation further or cuts the interaction right there. No wonder app icons hold such prominence. Many brands just use their logo, but that’s not your only option. A shape or symbol tied back to your brand, a crucial brand element, your brand colors – a whole bunch of other elements are pivotal when it comes to app icon design. Because you want something that stands out in a crowded app store and still feels unmistakably yours, even in a tiny square.

So today we’re discussing some well-known apps with stunning app icons to take away some design tips for your own. 

10 App Icons We Love + Design Tips 

1. Instant brand recall – Amazon Music 

One of the best things you can do with an app icon is make it immediately clear who it belongs to. In other words, make your app icon feel like a seamless extension of your brand identity rather than just an aesthetic placeholder on the screen.

The Amazon Music app does this brilliantly. While the iconic orange of Amazon is missing, the signature font and the well-recognized arrow symbol from the Amazon logo together instantly communicate that this app belongs to the Amazon ecosystem. 

Design-wise, there is nothing flashy. In fact, it’s practical and to the point, but it’s this effective branding that makes this app stand out from the other music apps in the marketplace. 

KIMP Tips: 

• When your core brand identity is strong, lean into it for your app icon design. 
• Pay attention to the fonts used – consistent use of brand fonts is a big plus. 

2. Vibrant hues for vibrant narratives – Instagram 

Colors are some of the strongest brand identifiers. To demonstrate this, scroll through the social media category in any app marketplace (iOS or Android). Without looking at the name of the app, how many can you instantly tell just by looking at the color? Most of them, we believe? That’s the power of color in app icon design. 

Instagram is one such app that stands out with its unique color palette. The signature gradient is hard to miss! 

The colors and the gradient are crucial components in Instagram’s branding on the whole and within their app interface as well. Therefore, using this gradient feels like a natural fit in their app icon design. 

In a segment filled with solid colors, blues in all shades and tints, the pink gradient of the Instagram app is definitely an attention-grabber. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Remember that a strong and consistent color palette can do as much as a brand logo, sometimes much more. 
• If your competitors are known to play it safe, bold color choices can help break the mold. 

3. Symbols that stick – Google Maps 

One of the easiest ways to make your app icon effective is to use universally recognized symbols or shapes that instantly communicate your app’s core function. No fuss – just solid messaging! When done right, this approach lets you keep it clear and simple without complex imagery. 

Take the Google Map’s logo, for instance. The signature map marker or teardrop pin icon is enough to convey that this is a map/navigation app. This creative idea of boiling down the whole navigation and place-finding function to a simple icon rather than a complicated illustration is one of the biggest strengths of the Google Maps icon. 

The other critical detail is that the icon effectively incorporates Google’s signature brand colors for instant brand recall. This helps the app fit seamlessly into the Google ecosystem. 

KIMP Tips: 

• To avoid vague messaging, use symbols that are already part of users’ visual vocabulary. 
• Use colors and other elements to tweak the symbol and tie it back to your brand identity. 

4. Emotional resonance – Headspace 

When your app icon does not just look good but also feels good, when it connects at an emotional level, it stands out in a crowded market. After all, the best kind of icons do not just say what the app does but also give a glimpse of what the app makes you feel. 

The Headspace app does this well. It features a friendly orange face with a warm smile. Not just any happy smile but one with the eyes closed to represent serenity, warmth and even contentment. Just like the app itself aims to make you feel! In addition to effectively representing the brand’s personality, the colors tie back to its brand identity. 

From colors to the smiling face, everything about this logo is different from the typical imagery associated with meditation apps. No lotus flowers, no meditating human silhouette – the app chooses to connect on a human level with a more straightforward and emotionally resonant design. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Humanize your icon to make it relatable and memorable. 
• Identify the best expressive details to incorporate into your design – like the smile in the Headspace logo. 

5. Perspective that pulls you in – Monument Valley 

Most icons sit flat – because flat designs are easy to work with. However, adding a sense of depth can make a big difference. It helps create intrigue and, therefore, engages the audience. 

Hence, when it comes to app icon design, dare to challenge conventional 2D representations by incorporating isometric views, optical illusions, or unusual angles that reflect a unique aspect of your app’s functionality or aesthetic.

One of the best examples is the icon of the Monument Valley app. The icon features the game’s central character, Princess Ida, standing on a floating, stepped platform. The scene is viewed from a slightly tilted, isometric perspective, giving a sense of depth and space. Much like the unique perspectives the game presents. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Draw inspiration from the core aspects of your app – traits that make it special or specific details about its interface. These are valuable add-ons to your app icon design. 
• Ensure that the colors and elements work in unison – like the calming color palette of the Monument Valley icon that also aligns with the app interface colors. 

6. Infuse personality into your design – Capy – Calm AI Meeting Notes

Source 

A functional icon is definitely sufficient – but are you okay with “sufficient”? Don’t you want to cut through the noise? If that’s what you want, you need to infuse personality into your app icon design. A strong and memorable character – either through a featured mascot or through a metaphorical representation. The idea is to tie the icon design back to what makes your brand special – your brand’s unique personality.

To explain this better, let’s talk about the icon of the Capy – Calm AI Meeting Notes app. It features a minimalist line drawing of a capybara with peacefully closed eyes, and a small, red bird perched gently on its head. Most productivity apps lean toward a more serious and professional design for their icon, while Capy stands out with its unique approach. 

This level of emotional connection goes a long way in making an instant connection with the audience and staying in their minds longer too! 

KIMP Tips: 

• Pay attention to the emotional tone of your design and ensure it’s synchronized with your brand personality. 
• Incorporating your mascot into your app icon is a great move. 

7. Go beyond your logo – Etihad 

As we discussed at the beginning of this post, the most common approach is to use the brand logo in the app icon design. However, some brands manage to pull off a stunning icon design even without incorporating their logo. This is possible when you have a clear brand system, a cohesive identity with a set of brand elements that you consistently use across your touchpoints. These could be specific color palettes (as in the case of Instagram) or shapes (as in the case of Amazon), or even designs or accents or visual styles that are unique to your brand. 

For instance, take the Etihad app icon. As you know, the tail design is a critical component in branding for airlines, in addition to their logos. The distinct pattern that Etihad uses on its airplane tail is what appears on its app icon. This makes the icon a seamless addition to the Etihad brand identity.

Besides, this approach also helps Etihad move away from the usual practice of incorporating “airplane” symbols which is common in app icons of airlines. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Drawing inspiration from what’s relevant to your industry is good. But what’s even better is to draw inspiration from what’s relevant or unique to your brand. 
• Remember that your logo isn’t your only brand asset. Create a unified system of elements that work together to tell your brand’s story.

8. Prioritize versatility – Spotify 

The Spotify app icon features the well-recognized abstract “sound-wave” inspired shape. There’s nothing else cluttering the design. This minimalist approach makes the icon versatile. Therefore, Spotify just swaps out the color for each of its apps. 

We saw this even with the apps in the Amazon ecosystem. A similar template with just the app names swapped and the colors adopted as per the interface. These examples demonstrate the need to prioritize versatility when designing app icons. 

A single solid template that can be tweaked to represent your various apps not only helps tie them all together but also helps customers instantly identify that they are all apps connected to your brand. 

KIMP Tips: 

• When you have a strong symbol or logomark in your logo and if this has become a well-recognized entity of your brand, use it in your app icon. 
• Eliminate clutter and stick to core, adaptable graphics that can be used in various applications. 

9. Tailor visuals for your target audience – YouTube Kids 

As we discussed earlier, the ease of personalization is one of the primary benefits of mobile apps. Why not start with the app icon design? An icon that feels personalized to your audience is the best kind of icon. From colors to fonts and its overall visual style, everything about it should resonate with the people you have designed the app for. 

The YouTube Kids app nails this. The very popular red play button, which is unmistakably “YouTube” but with a playful twist – via the visual style. Instead of the professional and modern flat design of the YouTube app, the YouTube Kids app adopts a more hand-drawn style rendition of the red play button. These are stunning visual elements that tell that this app is YouTube but meant for kids! 

This icon doesn’t just scale down the adult version; it reframes it. It fine-tunes it to suit the target audience. 

KIMP Tips: 

• Stay connected to your parent brand, but don’t be afraid to adapt for context.
• Understand the visual language of your target audience. Do they like modern art that pushes boundaries or analytic concepts? 

10. Make it dynamic – Etsy 

The last tip we have for you is to keep your app icon design dynamic and flexible. Icons do not have to be static. When they are too static and when nothing changes about them, sometimes users become oblivious to your app on their homescreen. Small changes surprise them and keep them coming back for more. 

This could be in the form of customization options you provide by default or even in the form of simple tweaks to your icon during major sale events or brand milestones or holidays. Like a red hat that many brands add to their app icons during Christmas. These small yet noticeable changes keep your icon design fresh and engaging. 

Some brands incorporate dynamism by allowing users to pick from a set of pre-designed icons. Etsy is one of the best examples. 

Here is a set of icons that Etsy allows you to choose from. As you can see, some of them do not feature the brand’s signature orange color and yet the brand font and name take care of the branding in such cases. 

KIMP Tips: 

• When you cater to diverse demographics, consider allowing your users to tweak your icon to their liking – to make the icon relevant to their unique style and preference. 
• Preserve one or two core elements like the use of the same symbol or logotype so that the icon still helps with brand recall. 

Craft Icons That Connect 

The best app icons are those that capture attention, communicate the core message quickly and also look good on the screen. All these tips help you nail your icon – to create a design that conveys your message effectively and helps your app rise above the competition. But yes, in the quest for making your app more meaningful, you do not want to overdo it. Some icons like the native Photos app icon on iOS or even the Game Center app icon, can sometimes appear too busy – with too many colors. And there are some with too many details. Some with busy backgrounds. These can all be risky areas to tread. Avoid these pitfalls and create meaningful, versatile, adaptable designs rooted in your brand. 

If you are building an app or just tackling the app icon, or working on your full set of branded icons, you do not have to do it all on your own. Working with an unlimited design service, like KIMP, makes this much simpler. From your app design to marketing graphics to promote your app, everything is taken care of at a flat monthly fee. 

Ready to elevate your app branding? Sign up for a KIMP subscription.