Comments on: Designing Android Icons

By: ciciLiu

ciciLiu — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 10:05:43 +0000

Rate dvd-ppt-slideshow.com: It sounds good. We are planning to launch an Android application and this article was really helpful to figure how to create our Android icon. I appreciate the effort that you put on this to create a quality job.

By: Andrea

Andrea — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 22:04:07 +0000

Macs are not overpriced computers. Really. You’d find that out for yourself if you really tried one. Anyway Apple doesn’t owe us anything. If we don’t like its cult-like control we can just choose not to buy its products.

By: dave

dave — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:15:59 +0000

I still don’t understand why apple doesn’t release an SDK for windows or linux. I’m not going to buy an overpriced computer just to be able to develop for the iphone. Hopefully android’s market share continues to increase and someday we can be done with having to deal with apple’s cult-like control.
http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-11-15/tech/30400455_1_ios-iphone-smartphone-market

By: Ben (mnky_face )

Ben (mnky_face ) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 10:36:24 +0000

Cool article, well written and honest, good read :)

By: Beto PPT

Beto PPT — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 18:58:58 +0000

This is really a great article. We are planning to launch an Android application and this article was really helpful to figure how to create our Android icon. I appreciate the effort that you put on this to create a quality job.

By: Bas

Bas — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 23:32:10 +0000

Very nice article and I fully agree about the graphics and UI advantages of iOS. Had an Iphone. But it’s strength is also it’s weakness: too closed. So closed it is crippled. So crippled that there is not a single usable agenda app that has usability and speed of use of say a 10 year old PalmOS agenda, jailbroken or not. And I’ve searched till the ends of the Web to find it.

140,000 apps and not one single usable agenda….hm…As I understand it the reason is fundamental: iOS.

So we have a too closed iOS and we have Android that looks and works completely different on any other Phone. We are doomed.

Bas

PS: Google really should hire you as an icon designer

By: iphone application

iphone application — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:44:33 +0000

Interesting post and thanks for sharing. Some things in here I have not thought about before.Thanks for making such a cool post

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:59:53 +0000

Yes, there are people out there to whom interfaces, icons included, are very important. They are called graphic designers.
To us the user interface is a very big part of the user experience. Badly designed interfaces and icons make apps all but unusable to us who do that for a living.
I don’t want to spend my time customizing things. I want them to be sufficiently well designed by their manufacturer to ensure a great user experience without me having to fiddle around preferences, changing icons and moving them around.
If you are willing to design and create your icon set to replace the default one that’s great.
To each his own.

By: Random

Random — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:52:36 +0000

Wow, I almost didn’t believe my buddy when he told me he just read an article where some guy had said hey wouldn’t buy an Android phone because of the look of the icons……..LOL. Are you kidding me? Who chooses to NOT buy a phone because of the app icons? Before you judge, I am an iPhone user and my buddy is an Android user. We argue about which is better all the time, while in my opinion the iOS does have better looking icons, the fact that you can move icons and REMOVE icons should also come into play. If you don’t like the way an icon looks, make your own. If you don’t think certain icons flow right with the screen, move them or remove them. I am switching over to the HTC Thunderbolt in about 2 months when I get my upgrade and will never look back at my iPhone. You just can’t help but love how much you can customize an Android phone. In regards to the article though, even though I disagree with you on many many points. It’s nice to see that there are other people out there with brains that are posting stuff on the internet. Good job!

By: Andrea

Andrea — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 11:50:08 +0000

Gary,
as you can see by the article’s publication date and the update note at the top of the page this article regards Android 1.1.
I will not debate my points since I still stand behind them, even after Android’s update. I am creating icons for Android as well as iOS (see my portfolio) and have no intention to choose a platform over the other.

The sad truth, though, is that few designers choose to follow the guidelines, creating launcher icons that seem to be an afterthought. As a result of that the landscape of Android apps is very depressing graphics-wise.

As for Android’s customization capabilities I am glad they are there but it boils down to personal preference, really.
I happen to prefer a less customizable but better designed interface (OS X, iOS) to a more customizable but potentially confusing one (Windows, Android).
iOS icons are enclosed in a rounded square. The contents of the square can be 2d, 3d, handdrawn etc. In my opinion the fact that all icons share the same frame helps keep the interface ordered and clean.
If you prefer to have round icons sitting next to square ones, bigger icons sitting next to smaller icons and icons arranged in multiple rows instead of a single, regular grid then that’s great. I never debate personal taste but this is my blog and I firmly express my own taste.

You’re right, I don’t own an Android phone nor I ever will. I also don’t own an iPad, a netbook or a laptop. Forgive me for not being able to afford two phones, multiple computers and several mobile devices.