7 App Store Creative Trends You Can’t Miss

With more and more apps competing for users’ attention, staying at the top of the App Store often looks like an uphill battle. To gain the day, mobile marketers have to choose between dozens of creative concepts and hypotheses through multiple A/B tests. The process can be simplified if you develop visuals based on the latest trends.

Creative trends are just like weather vanes – they shift often, yet always indicate the direction of the wind. By building strong creative assets for your app product page, you’ll improve the chances of your app getting noticed and driving engagement. In this blog, we’re going to explore the 7 essential app store creative trends. Use them as pointers for your next creative session.

This is a guest blog written by SplitMetrics.

Trend #1: Personalized screenshots

App screenshots are a significant element of your app store page and are a great way to depict your app’s story, engage with users, and gain their trust.

A satisfied user’s portrait and list of media features builds instant trust

You can drive conversions via screenshots by applying the “relatability” trend to practice:

• Lifestyle screenshots: To drive engagement, incorporate lifestyle screenshots – that is, screenshots of users from your target audience, showing how they use your app. Keep in mind that portraits of real people work better than animated ones. According to data from SplitMetrics, users tend to pay more attention to actual humans instead of drawings.
• Direct users’ attention to CTAs: When optimizing your screenshots, show people looking at your CTA or the most prominent features of your app.
• Include reviews: Build trust by inserting app reviews in one of your screenshots. Make sure reviewers give their permission for their texts to be used.

Adding a human, personal touch to your product page is a smart trend that will improve both conversions and your brand image.

Trend #2: Colorful & vibrant screenshots to grab users’ attention

Fill your screenshots with vibrant colors. Most app installs follow after viewers look at the first screenshot, so it’s crucial to charm users straight away.

To keep them focused on the product page, try using screenshots in salient colors. While many mobile publishers stick to one color when picking their screenshots, it makes sense to introduce a custom color for each screenshot instead. Thanks to this trick and the contrast it creates, users will feel more curious about the content of your screenshots. As a result, you’ll boost engagement and highlight the most vital features of your app.

The color contrast highlights the best features

Here are some recommendations for working with this trend:

• Create a color scheme matching your app’s design.
• Come up with a few more color schemes for different regions. Perceptions vary from culture to culture. For example, in Western countries, white stands as a symbol of spiritual purity, while in the East, it’s associated with loss and mourning.
• Take seasonality and holidays into consideration. Screenshots for a lifestyle app during summer will look stunning in bold and bright colors. Warm greens and orangey reds on screenshots will work just fine in fall.
• Test, test, and test. Check out how different colors work and don’t forget to change the order of screenshots when testing.

There is another hack related to this creative trend. You can use captions in different colors to get users’ attention to a specific word or feature. Colorful CTAs are a great way to prompt people to install the app.

Trend #3: Unusual colors look more alluring

With a neutral background still being dominant on the App Store and Google Play, unusual colors, such as futuristic blue neon, look like an oasis in the middle of a desert.

This creative trend has a direct connection to the newest color of the year by the Pantone Color Institute, Very Peri. In 2022, the unconventional blue hue has become the symbol of the future, virtual space, and digital transformation.

The futuristic message behind Very Peri makes this color an interesting choice for mobile marketers. If you’re feeling adventurous, try it for your next icon background or screenshot color. We’ve found that Very Peri will be a splendid choice for health & fitness apps, so we recommend trying it on icons for this category.

Trend #4: Monochromatic icons work better for some apps

It’s hard to imagine a one-colored icon representing a casual game. However, for a certain category of apps, it’s the best choice you can make.

We’re talking about health and fitness apps. An icon here should clearly depict what the app is for. Pick one bright color for the icon background (interestingly enough, Very Peri will look nice for health and fitness apps) and focus on the app’s main function to send a consistent message to your audience.

Trend #5: Popularity of minimalistic 3D app icons

3D icons have been a hot topic since the macOS Big Sur reveal. Initially, designers were striving to reimagine the well-known mobile app icons in a new format. Now you can create your own 3D icons for your app!

3D icons are still a novelty for the app store platforms and won’t suit any concept. They are best equipped for designing a functional, minimalistic icon. To create an impressive 3D icon, follow these guidelines:

• Use big shapes and symbols. This will help viewers instantly recognize the concept.
• Increase the logo size on the icon, if the situation calls for it.
• Keep it simple. Overcomplicated icons never look good.

Trend #6: Storytelling on app product page

Everyone’s after a great story. A consistent narrative is an engaging tool that steals people’s attention. That’s why app marketers leverage storytelling skills to elevate their brand and connect with their audience.

Adding a storytelling element to your product page is a sure-fire strategy to compel users to install your app – and is a must-have for games – be it a casual one or RPG.

Homescapes uses storytelling to show gameplay details

This creative trend turns your product page into a new ”hero’s journey.” Start by presenting your protagonist’s face or gameplay details to the audience through a simple icon. Continue the journey via screenshots by adding some gameplay elements within them. If you have several main characters, show them in the screenshots in different situations. Complete the journey with an emotional CTA and make sure your video preview reveals the app’s features in an engaging way.

Trend #7: Emotional app imagery to connect with users

Earlier, app visuals used to be all about a beautiful set of images. But now, the focus has turned more to connecting with users to evoke a particular emotion among potential users. So, make sure that your app visuals are appealing, memorable, and effective. The goal of your app is to induce positive emotions in users. Depending on the app functions and genre, mobile marketers can achieve this goal differently.

Here are a few ways by which you can evoke emotions with your app’s creative assets:

• When depicting a character in icons or screenshots, make sure that their facial expression corresponds to the app’s vibe. For instance, a mysterious visual novel may depict a frightened character or a stranger in a dark cloak.
• Opt for contrasting colors for your CTAs. Color contrasts draw the users’ attention directly to the message included in the CTA.
• Pick your fonts like you pick your battles. Heavy typefaces look great when used for a battle royale game. Smoother fonts are more appropriate for lifestyle and relaxation apps.

Conclusion

Mobile app creative trends come and go. But so does the content on your app product page. With increasing competition and constant changes in the mobile app industry, developers need to find newer ways to optimize their apps and reaffirm their ASO strategy. To benefit from your app’s visual assets in the best possible way, you consistently need to keep an eye on market trends. When brainstorming a new creative concept, consider putting it to good use – and don’t forget to carry out A/B tests for a better outcome.

Learn how AppTweak can help you boost your ASO strategy on the app stores!