Fortunately, the app stores offer a way of A/B testing things like app icons, where 50% of people see one version and the other 50% see another. Performance is then compared by seeing which one is more likely to lead people to install the app. Normally you’re looking for performance improvements of anywhere between 5% - 10%, but in our case the difference was much more significant!
WIPs
Before delving into the data, I’d like to share some of the discarded options. I think the main issue with the old app icon is that there was too much text and it was too busy, so I looked to really simplify the design but maintain the teal colour scheme and make it clear Stash Hub is a sewing app.
I tried experimenting with different icons, gradients and outlines and from this process it became clear that the although the button, needle and fabric icons were visually appealing, they didn’t scream sewing. Also, I personally quite like a colour gradient background, the two-tone style felt more original and modern. Lastly, it was a matter of finding the right sewing machine icon. The rejected options had either too much or not enough detail but the one we opted for was graphic and sleek without being over complicated.
Data
As promised, below is a graph comparing the old (navy) vs new (orange). This is nearly a 50% improvement. It’s sad to think how many sewists might have missed out on Stash Hub because they didn’t like our old icon, but we’re hoping this change will help us reach lots more sewists.
Since having the new app icon into the wild we’ve had a lot of positive comments from existing Stash Hub users saying how much they like it and how it stands out amongst the sea of other apps on their phones. A big success and thank you to those that shared their thoughts and opinions.
I hope this post was interesting and let us know in the comments if one of the WIPs stood out to you.