Who’s Hungry? App Icon — UI Design
Are you and your friends having a difficult time deciding which restaurant to dine at tonight? Try the Who’s Hungry? App!
This app allows you and your friends to connect and vote on dining options in your local area. First, You and your friends start a game together. Each player then votes yes or no to the available restaurant options. The app will then tally the results and show the restaurant that received the most votes! Easy peasy!
App in Need of an Icon
I was brought onto the project as a contract designer. The developer had already designed the app itself. She wanted me to create an icon that was lively and made good use of color. My end goal was to make the icon cohesive with the design of the app that the developer had already created.
Brainstorming
I came up with a few different layout ideas and color schemes. I created a few mockups that were more simplistic and had more muted color tones. Then I created a few mockups with more detail and brighter colors. Through several meetings, the developer and I were able to narrow down what she was looking for. After many iterations, below are 4 examples that given to the developer.
Final Decision
After reviewing the options given, the developer chose option 4. This option is the brightest and most colorful. The developer enjoyed the style and the bright colors and felt it went well with her app.
What I Learned
Make sure not to get stuck with an idea in mind.
I had researched different UI icon styles. From there, I created mockups based on the icon styles I preferred. Luckily, I realized my bias after our first meeting. So, while presenting options to her, I made sure the developer was choosing the options SHE liked best. This made sure that I didn’t sway her toward an option based on my preference. I wanted to make sure she was happy with the end result!
Be ready to iterate, even after we thought the task was complete.
During the design process, it would seem like I had finished the icon. I was satisfied with the design and colors. Then, after a while of staring at it, I would change my mind. Or the developer would change her mind. So, I would push some pixels, shift some alignments and change some colors. By the end, I had something that I felt proud of. I was happy knowing that I had created something that the developer was pleased with.
Remember to listen first.
At times I would be so excited to show and tell what I had created so far. I had to remember to stay neutral so that the developer wouldn’t feel pressured to commit to a design. I would present the options to her and listen to what she was saying and the feedback she was giving. This allowed me to hone in on exactly what she was looking for.
Thanks
A big thanks to Kelsey Sparkman (Developer) for giving me the opportunity to take on this task!
Look for Who’s Hungry? in the Apple App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/whos-hungry/id1547055831
