Play Store Images - App Icon

[samgawaran]

Summary

We're posting Colonist mobile to the app store and want the layout to be ASO (app store optimized).

Posting my recommendation for the app icon we could use for the playstore.

Guide

https://developer.android.com/distribute/google-play/resources/icon-design-specifications new versions of android allow users to set the "shape" of their app icons so

App Icon Recommendation

• Fully SVG. tiles all the way to the text can be customized and pixel-free, doesn't use too much colors (will convert to PNG for app restrictions)
• Retained hexed shape for branding and enough room for custom user shapes for the white square backgrounds
• Our https://prnt.sc/UUBF0fbMQuIe uses a complex gold outline which looks complex compared to simple BGs used by most icons for mobile
• Adding the shimmer highlights the icon against the blue backdrop

Overlayed in Tablet & Mobile

• I tried placing my other designs here as well. some of them doesn't look good when minimized

Other Designs

Reasons why I didn't recommend other design samples:

• Colonist C isn't recognizable enough. It also came from a free typeface that anyone can use so it wouldn't look premium
• Circle shaped icon looks like a token, not a logo

Related Links

• https://github.com/colonistio/design/issues/231
• Gdrive Icon Folder: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1wEk0ozuxuSPZFcRM2Q8Dds8ELyEeRt58

Submission Checklist

• [x] Did you follow the app guidelines from the play store? yes, the asset size follows the 384x384 icon area which is the recommended size for 512px logos so they have breathing spaces
• [x] This submission abides by Des-lvl-1, Des-lvl-2 & Des-lvl-3

Reviewers

@SimonH321 @JuanRoman77 @demiculus

[SimonH321]

Is there a way to make it look more game-ey? It looks good and sleek but it doesn't convey to me that it's meant to be a fun game. Obviously don't want it crowded but seems like something could be done with the background

[samgawaran]

Here's what I did:

I adjusted the BG for a more colonist-feel and added a shimmer to make the icon shine against the BG. Here's what it would look like when overlayed:

I'd say this is the best adjustment we could do as of now since we need to consider the breakpoints for the icons.

[samgawaran]

Old Iteration:

App Icon Recommendation

• Fully SVG. tiles all the way to the text can be customized and pixel-free, doesn't use too much colors (will convert to PNG for app restrictions)
• Retained hexed shape for branding and enough room for custom user shapes for the white square backgrounds
• Our https://prnt.sc/UUBF0fbMQuIe uses a complex gold outline which looks complex compared to simple BGs used by most icons for mobile

Overlayed in Tablet & Mobile

• I tried placing my other designs here as well. some of them doesn't look good when minimized

Other Designs

[samgawaran]

Updated the Gdrive link: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1wEk0ozuxuSPZFcRM2Q8Dds8ELyEeRt58

[demiculus]

Why not use the logo with hexes? It should have a small catan board in the logo. Experiment with that

[samgawaran]

Why not use the logo with hexes? It should have a small catan board in the logo.

app icons shouldn't be "in your face" that much. top apps/games have their app icons use minimal designs so its easy and memorable for their users eyes. Using the C icon should be enough since the players who download the app will know its a Catan-based game with the screenshots and feature graphics that they will see in our play store app page

But here's what it'll look like:

other thoughts:

• using our square logo looks like a collection of apps since its a lot of hexed shape tiles
• hard to create seasonal designs of something like these: https://prnt.sc/V_Q7ut718EmE if we would use the board

---

If all is good, I'm closing these design submission for now.

[JuanRoman77]

I don't think gradient is a common practice. Doesn't look good either; contrast is a problem.

top apps/games have their app icons use minimal designs so its easy and memorable for their users eyes.

This doesn't seem to be the case?

[samgawaran]

I don't think gradient is a common practice. Doesn't look good either; contrast is a problem.

it would look flat without it,

top apps/games have their app icons use minimal designs so its easy and memorable for their users eyes. This doesn't seem to be the case?

I get your point but the big gaming companies like Wild Rift, Roblox, and Call of Duty Mobile doesn't maximize or overcomplicate their app icons so its not visually straining for the users. I assume they also consider this: https://developer.android.com/distribute/google-play/resources/icon-design-specifications unlike Jackpot Party and Evony The Kings Return which have some of their icon design being cut off due to the corner radius

In our case, both Brawl Stars Roblox and Pokemon don't rely on "Characters" as their icons unlike on most games here. and 2 of them has a simple straightforward design. Only Pokemon Go uses a detailed BG style but the pokeball Icon is large enough to keep it in the spotlight

[demiculus]

1. Why is the background teal there is no teal here: https://colonist.io/

2. Can you also try something like this where 3 hexes are on top of each other and C is at the bottom corner or something?

   

3. Can you try the logo with the resources & colors of our tiles?

4. I have nothing to say