I would like to introduce why Tweetbot’s app icon is good design.

First , I build up three hypothesises which are good point of app icon and verify those.

1. Coloring

2. A short stereoscopic effect

3. Fac

1. Coloring

Good point of Tweetbot’s coloring is using complementary color . The face is painted blue , the mouth is painted orange.

Complementary color has an effect of setting off each other’s colors.

How does the app icon look, if the coloring isn’t painted complementary color ?

I paint the mouse green and purple.

How about that?

It is shown that complementary color has appreciable effect.

How do I reflect this in the design ?

You paint neutral color other than complementary color.

Flickr and Monument Valley are painted complementary color.

2. A short stereoscopic effect

Points are used stereoscopic effect are eye and mouse. Either of them have highlight and shadow effect.

How does the app icon look, if the app icon doesn’t have the effects?

It is shown that stereoscopic effect has appreciable effect. In particular, we find that the effect of the mouth is large.

How do I reflect this in the design ?

You use stereoscopic effect which look like overlap of flat layers.

Wunderlist and Inbox have stereoscopic effect which look like overlap of flat layers.

3. Face

The brain has an area for recognizing a face , so we have the psychology of interest to the face. Tweetbot is designed in the motif of a bird face, although it’s not human face.

In addition to this, the Icon stand out among others because icons are designed in the motif of a face are very few.

How does the app icon look, if the app icon isn’t designed in the motif of a face ?

I remove eyes not to look like a face.

It is shown that effect of face has appreciable effect.

How do I reflect this in the design ?

If there is a character in apps and services, You should use the face part of the character in the icon.

Duolingo and Twitterfic use the face part of the character.

Summary and other

In this verification, I knew these effects are effective in the order of Coloring, Face, A short stereoscopic effect. I think effect of face isn’t easy to use, but I think the others are easy to use in app icon design.

I felt attention to detail because Tweetbot’s icon is used detailed gradations in most parts. Part isn’t used gradation is only eye.

That’s all.

I want to analyze good app icons from now on too. Thank you for reading my clumsy English.

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