over 7 years ago from Daniel Archer, glasses, hashes, and a splash of bourbon. dev/design at naritiv.
Just wondering what the design community thinks of newly designed app icons like Swarm's - where it's kinda flat, but not too simple either. Looking for nice answers and thoughts..
Here's the new icon I'm referring to: 
Beyond ugly and breaking Apple's guidelines (icons on iOS should not have a frame).
I would like to add this guideline paragraph: "For the best results, enlist the help of a professional graphic designer"
That outline is driving me crazy. It looks out-of-place next to everything else on my home screen, and not in a "I'll notice this more because it looks different" way.
Come to think of it, it reminds me of that time when Facebook accidentally launched an app with the development icon rather than the production one.
That one actually looked good and people complained when Facebook pushed an expedited update that reverted it. :D
I'm kinda proud of them for embracing some design treatments that were hip 5 years ago. The whole app feels kind of retro and playful. It's a little bit of a clusterfuck, but eh. It's fun.
(I still hate the Swarm/Foursquare separation. I don't see the upside yet.)
(I still hate the Swarm/Foursquare separation. I don't see the upside yet.)
Embrace app constellations.
+1'd for hating the Swarm/Foursquare separation.
It's not like the app 'needed' to be unbundled. Unlike Facebook/Messenger, where Messenger was going to be much bigger than just a feature; it was going to be a platform. Versus, in the case of Foursquare/Swarm, the separation diluted the novelty of Foursquare. Made it lesser in the name of focus/niche.
On iOS, it is horrible. To me, it looks like the marketing department said “people don’t use our app enough, let’s change the icon”
Really, I think it is a downgrade. Why would you want to make something that is beautifully simple and brings the message across more complex? The only reason I can think of is . . . marketing :-)
I usually welcome new things – Spotify’s new green for instance, looked very beautiful and coherent to me. Not so with Swarm's new icon.
The new Android one is so good. When it updated I let out an audible 'oooohh'. Having full alpha support makes Android icons infinitely more interesting to me.
I don't think full alpha support would work very well on iOS.. The Springboard would look a gods-awful mess if every icon was differently shaped. It might work if users had more control over icon placement like in Android, but, alas..
Still, I agree with you that the Android icon is nicer..
Totally agree it wouldn't work on iOS, just that it can make icon design more interesting on Android when it's taken advantage of.
Those clouds... They cuts the other shapes, makes it look really cluttered, my eyes can't find where to focus.
It would actually work on Android, but breaks all the rules on iOS.
I have been irritated about this ever since I updated. Guess it won't be long till they go back to another icon.
I almost deleted the app, just cause I don't like it at all.
I heard about the new icon and immediately imagined something with some kind of flying bug in it and bam - surprise - it has a bee in it. Bull's eye!
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