How to write an app icon brief in one line
A good app icon brief fits in one sentence: the name, what the app does, who it is for, a mood and a colour. How each part shapes the design, with examples.
Most icon briefs are either too vague ("a modern icon") or too specific ("a blue circle with a white lightning bolt at 45 degrees"). The first gets you something generic; the second gets you exactly what you asked for, which is often not what works. A good brief describes the product and leaves the design open.
The five parts
| Part | Why it matters | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Name | Sometimes suggests a motif | Pebble Notes |
| What it does | Decides the motif | calm note-taking |
| Who it is for | Decides the style | students |
| Mood | Decides lighting and shapes | calm, soft |
| Colour | Decides the palette | purple |
Briefs that work
- "An app icon for Pebble Notes, a calm note-taking app, purple."
- "A playful mascot icon for a habit tracker, sticker style."
- "Icon for Ledgerly, expense tracking for freelancers, serious, dark green."
- "A chat app for small teams, try every style."
Then narrow down
- Look at a sheet of candidates across styles. Compare with app icon styles.
- Throw out anything that does not read at 29 pixels.
- Pick one, and change it in words: another colour, other eyes, another style.
- Export for every platform.
What not to put in a brief
- Another company's icon as the target. Say what you like about it (the lighting, the simplicity), not "like Instagram's".
- Text for the icon, unless it is a single letter.
- Five motifs. Pick the one that says what the app does.
If you are using AI for this, the brief matters even more; see making an app icon with AI.
App Icon Foundry takes exactly this kind of one-line brief. "Make an app icon for Pebble Notes, a calm note-taking app, purple" gives a contact sheet of about twelve candidates across its styles, with motifs that say notes, each shown at 60px and 29px.
Questions
What should an app icon brief include?
The app's name, what it does in a few words, who it is for, the mood you want, and one colour or colour family. Optional: a style or a motif you like.
Should I describe the exact icon I want?
Usually not at first. Describe the product and let candidates show you options. If you already know you want a cup or a cat, say so, and leave the rest open.
How many icon options should I look at?
Enough to see real variety across styles, around ten to fifteen, then narrow to two or three and refine one.