| name | ios-app-icon-and-brand-system |
| description | Use when designing or reviewing an iOS app icon, lightweight brand system, launch assets, screenshot consistency, or App Store-facing visual identity choices. |
iOS App Icon And Brand System
Strong brand does not need to fight the platform.
Icon Rules
- keep the silhouette simple
- design for tiny sizes first
- avoid text if possible
- prefer one strong symbol or shape
- test against home screen contexts, not just on white artboards
- use strong contrast without becoming noisy
- assume Apple applies masking to exported art
App Store Icon Review
Review in this order:
- small-size clarity
- silhouette and recognizability
- contrast in light and dark surroundings
- distinctiveness against category competitors
- consistency with the product, screenshots, and listing promise
- one mark beats a scene
- simple geometry beats tiny detail
- bold color direction beats muddy gradients
- test the icon at realistic home-screen and App Store sizes
Brand System Rules
- one primary accent color
- one calm background strategy
- one clear typographic hierarchy
- consistent icon treatment across product and marketing
Avoid
- over-detailed icons
- raw bitmap edges where masking assumptions matter
- one brand style in-app and another in screenshots
- branding so strong it breaks native trust
- an icon that only works on a large artboard
