

Ask HN: How to design app shortcut icons for iphone/android etc? - codedivine

Many of you must have written and distributed apps on iphones, android, plain old desktops etc. I wanted to make an icon (say 256x256) for the app shortcut and am having two problems:<p>1. I don't want to accidentally make an icon that is too similar to some brand and get sued.
2. I am no artist.<p>How do you solve these two problems? What are the tools/software that you use to make icons?
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kingofspain
Apple's app store requires a 512x512 so you may be better off starting big and
tweaking where needed as you shrink it (less so for simple vector-y stuff).

1\. Short of checking out every icon out there, there's not a whole lot you
can do to ensure this. Also, I'm not sure how common it is for people to just
sue hard over an icon without at least sending a letter of varying politeness.

2\. Keep it simple. An artistic squiggle in a circle. Some coloured dots. A
couple of wavy lines. Or chuck a few coins to a designer friend to do you
something simple.

Toolwise, I use Photoshop, though any half-decent graphics app can do it.

Don't add the rounded corners or shine for Apple submission though - they do
that for you (or you can deactivate). Some templates are pre-rounded and come
out a little weird.

