3 ms·

Just my $.02, and I realize this is anecdotal, but I don't give two craps what your icon looks like. If your app is good, I'll use it.

pooriaazimi 14y ago
You're right. But a lot of users buy/download free apps simply because it has a nice icon. Would you buy/download '3420 TOEIC Word Test Pack'[1]? It might be good, but you wouldn't download it because it's ugly and pollutes your shiny phone's home screen. [1] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3420-toeic-word-test-pack/id482837003?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3420-toeic-word-test-pack/id4...
- eswangren 14y ago
  Well, like most people on HN, I'm an engineer, and I just don't care. I want functionality and stability. You could have the ugliest icon ever and I just don't give a damn because it is irrelevant.
  - pooriaazimi 14y ago
    I agree completely, and that's what I do too. But I also understand that potential iOS users are not necessarily engineers and if my goal is to sell more apps to these naive users, I'd better find a good designer.
  - MrScruff 14y ago
    There's nothing inherent in being an engineer that means you can't appreciate good design.
    - Karunamon 14y ago
      No, but dismissing an app based on "bad design" (of a tiny icon, of all things) is just prejudicial, illogical silliness.
- mitjak 14y ago
  That is some of the ugliest UI I've seen since the Windows 3.1 days. Brings back memories of CD-ROM encyclopedias.
brianpan 14y ago
Another anecdote- I don't care how good your app is, if it doesn't look good, it looks like you don't care. I'll eventually get annoyed and stop using it.
- megablast 14y ago
  It is true, I do not care about design. I am not a designer, nor will I hire one. I produce apps that I find useful, and try to make them easy to use and not too ugly.
  - envex 14y ago
    Great attitude!
  - rahoulb 14y ago
    Making it easy to use is design
kalleboo 14y ago
But will you find it? I don't care much how the apps I use look either, but when I'm scrolling through search results in the store, I'll skim right over the apps with cheap icons, because I'll presume they're poorly-made spamware (since generally, that's true).

pooriaazimi 14y ago

You're right. But a lot of users buy/download free apps simply because it has a nice icon. Would you buy/download '3420 TOEIC Word Test Pack'[1]? It might be good, but you wouldn't download it because it's ugly and pollutes your shiny phone's home screen. [1] http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3420-toeic-word-test-pack/id482837003?mt=8 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/3420-toeic-word-test-pack/id4...

eswangren 14y ago
Well, like most people on HN, I'm an engineer, and I just don't care. I want functionality and stability. You could have the ugliest icon ever and I just don't give a damn because it is irrelevant.
- pooriaazimi 14y ago
  I agree completely, and that's what I do too. But I also understand that potential iOS users are not necessarily engineers and if my goal is to sell more apps to these naive users, I'd better find a good designer.
- MrScruff 14y ago
  There's nothing inherent in being an engineer that means you can't appreciate good design.
  - Karunamon 14y ago
    No, but dismissing an app based on "bad design" (of a tiny icon, of all things) is just prejudicial, illogical silliness.
mitjak 14y ago
That is some of the ugliest UI I've seen since the Windows 3.1 days. Brings back memories of CD-ROM encyclopedias.

brianpan 14y ago

Another anecdote- I don't care how good your app is, if it doesn't look good, it looks like you don't care. I'll eventually get annoyed and stop using it.

megablast 14y ago
It is true, I do not care about design. I am not a designer, nor will I hire one. I produce apps that I find useful, and try to make them easy to use and not too ugly.
- envex 14y ago
  Great attitude!
- rahoulb 14y ago
  Making it easy to use is design

kalleboo 14y ago

But will you find it? I don't care much how the apps I use look either, but when I'm scrolling through search results in the store, I'll skim right over the apps with cheap icons, because I'll presume they're poorly-made spamware (since generally, that's true).