screenshot-planner

name	screenshot-planner
description	Plan compelling App Store screenshot sequences that showcase your app's value. Use when preparing App Store assets, improving screenshot conversion, or drafting screenshot captions for a launch or major update.
allowed-tools	["Read","Write","Edit","Glob","Grep","AskUserQuestion"]

Screenshot Planner

Plan compelling App Store screenshot sequences that showcase your app's value.

When This Skill Activates

• User is preparing App Store assets
• User wants to improve screenshot conversion
• User asks about screenshot strategy or captions
• User is launching a new app or major update

Information Gathering

Before planning, ask about:

1. App Type

   • What category? (Productivity, Games, Lifestyle, etc.)
   • Primary use case?
   • Visual style of the app?

2. Key Selling Points

   • What makes users choose this app?
   • Most impressive features visually?
   • Any unique UI elements?

3. Target Audience

   • Who downloads this app?
   • What problem are they trying to solve?
   • What matters most to them?

4. Competitors

   • What do competitor screenshots show?
   • How can you differentiate?

Screenshot Strategy

The 5-Screenshot Framework

Most users only see the first 2-3 screenshots. Order matters!

Position	Purpose	Content
1	Hero Shot	Value proposition + best visual
2	Core Feature	Primary use case in action
3	Key Differentiator	What makes you unique
4	Secondary Feature	Another compelling feature
5	Social Proof/CTA	Reviews, awards, or final push

Extended (10 Screenshots)

Position	Purpose
6	Additional feature
7	Customization/settings
8	Integration/ecosystem
9	Before/after or workflow
10	Final CTA with app icon

Caption Writing

Caption Formula

[Action Verb] + [Benefit] + [Optional Detail]

Examples by Category

Productivity:

• "Capture ideas instantly"
• "Never miss a deadline"
• "Your tasks, beautifully organized"

Health & Fitness:

• "Track every workout"
• "See your progress over time"
• "Personalized plans that work"

Photo & Video:

• "Edit like a pro in seconds"
• "Filters that actually look good"
• "Share anywhere with one tap"

Finance:

• "Know where your money goes"
• "Budget without the stress"
• "Insights that save you money"

Caption Rules

✅ Do:

• Keep under 8 words
• Start with action verbs
• Focus on user benefits
• Match the visual exactly
• Use sentence case

❌ Don't:

• Use technical jargon
• Include version numbers
• Mention prices
• Use "Our app does..."
• Write full sentences

Visual Best Practices

Device Frames

Approach	When to Use
With frames	When device context matters, lifestyle apps
Without frames	Maximizing screen real estate, content apps
3D angles	Standing out, premium feel
Flat/straight	Clean, professional, enterprise

Backgrounds

• Solid colors: Clean, professional, fast loading
• Gradients: Modern, dynamic, attention-grabbing
• Lifestyle photos: Context, emotion, aspiration
• Abstract patterns: Creative, unique, memorable

Typography

• Use 2 fonts max (headline + body)
• Minimum 60pt for headlines (iPhone)
• Ensure readability on small thumbnails
• Match your app's brand fonts if possible

Screenshot Storyboard Template

SCREENSHOT 1: HERO
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Caption: [Value proposition - max 6 words]
Visual: [Key screen showing main feature]
Background: [Color/gradient that pops]
Notes: [This is first impression - make it count]

SCREENSHOT 2: CORE FEATURE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Caption: [What can user do?]
Visual: [App in action, primary workflow]
Background: [Consistent with #1]
Notes: [Show the "aha" moment]

SCREENSHOT 3: DIFFERENTIATOR
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Caption: [What makes you unique?]
Visual: [Feature competitors don't have]
Background: [Can vary slightly]
Notes: [Answer "why this app?"]

SCREENSHOT 4: SECONDARY FEATURE
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Caption: [Another key benefit]
Visual: [Compelling secondary feature]
Background: [Consistent theme]
Notes: [Add depth to value proposition]

SCREENSHOT 5: TRUST/CTA
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Caption: [Social proof or call to action]
Visual: [Reviews, stats, or final screen]
Background: [Strong finish]
Notes: [Close the deal]

Size Requirements

iPhone (Required)

Size	Device	Dimensions
6.7"	iPhone 15 Pro Max	1290 × 2796
6.5"	iPhone 11 Pro Max	1284 × 2778
5.5"	iPhone 8 Plus	1242 × 2208

iPad (If Universal)

Size	Device	Dimensions
12.9"	iPad Pro	2048 × 2732

macOS

Display	Dimensions
Standard	1280 × 800 (min)
Retina	2880 × 1800

App Preview Video

When to Include

• Complex apps that need demonstration
• Games (almost always)
• Apps with unique interactions
• When screenshots can't show the experience

Video Specs

• 15-30 seconds optimal
• First 3 seconds = hook
• No audio required (most watch muted)
• Show actual app (no external footage first 3s)
• 1080p or higher

Video Storyboard

0:00-0:03  Hook - Most impressive moment
0:03-0:10  Core workflow demonstration
0:10-0:20  Key features montage
0:20-0:30  Final CTA with value prop

Localization

Considerations

• Captions must be localized
• Screenshots may need localization if they show text
• Consider using minimal in-app text in screenshots
• Some markets prefer different visual styles

Priority Markets

1. English (US)
2. Chinese (Simplified)
3. Japanese
4. German
5. French
6. Spanish

Tools

Design Tools

• Figma - Free, collaborative
• Sketch - Mac-native, templates available
• Photoshop - Full control

Screenshot Generators

• Screenshots.pro - Templates with device frames
• Previewed - 3D mockups
• AppLaunchpad - Quick and easy
• Studio - Mac app with templates

Capture Tools

• Xcode Simulator - File → Screenshot
• QuickTime - Screen recording for video
• ScreenFloat - Organize captures

Competitive Analysis

Before finalizing, check competitors:

1. Search your main keyword
2. Screenshot top 5 apps
3. Note patterns:
   • Frame style used
   • Caption placement
   • Color schemes
   • Number of screenshots
4. Differentiate while meeting expectations