Today launched a new application called Mycons, which is taking advantage of the iOS 14 home screen customization trend, making it easier for anyone, including non-designers, to quickly create their own custom icons and purchase from designers.
With the release of iOS 14 in mid-September, millions of users began to use new features such as iOS widgets to customize their iPhone home screen. As part of this trend, users have also rediscovered how to use Apple's shortcut app to create custom icons for their favorite apps to match their new home screen aesthetics.
Therefore, within a few days and weeks after the release of iOS 14, the home screen customization application was at the top of the App Store.
This trend does not seem to be a flash in the pan. Today, as of the time of writing, the top custom widget provider Widgetsmith continues to rank 8th on the App Store (non-gaming) top free apps list.
However, while most new custom apps focus on creating your own iOS 14 widgets, those that help users design their own icon sets are harder to find. Some existing applications have been re-adjusted to meet users' icon needs, such as Launcher, while other applications have launched a paid icon market, such as Brass.
Launcher brings its powerful widget making app to iOS 14
At the same time, Mycons provides an icon customization tool set and the option to purchase pre-made icon packs.
Image source: Mycons, from the App Store
Image source: Mycons, from the App Store
If you want to build your own icon, you can start with the "Icon Studio" section in Mycons. Some introductory features are provided for free, and a one-time upgrade for $9.99 can unlock all features.
"I want to release an app with some free basic design features so that users can understand how things work and still be able to make their home screen look beautiful without spending their hard-earned money. "Mycons developer Daniel McCarthy explained.
Once you unlock the fully customizable features of Icon Studio, you will find that they are quite extensive.
You can choose a solid color, a gradient color or even a photo as the icon background, or choose to use an advanced background you purchased.
If you set your own color as the background, Mycons allows you to choose between using a color grid, color spectrum, adjusting sliders, or entering a specific hexadecimal color number to get accurate shadows.
The app also includes a searchable database with thousands of symbols and logos to choose from-including symbols for your most commonly used apps and common symbols that are harder to find, such as RSS symbols. For some of the more popular applications, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube or Snapchat, you may even find a few different options to choose from.
Then, you can choose to place the symbol in the center, upper left or lower left corner, or upper right or lower right corner. You can also adjust the color, size, and transparency of the symbol.
Mycons can also easily create a complete set of custom icons at once. After designing the icon template style, you can switch the option "Enable batch export" to select multiple symbols, and then apply the same background to all symbols. Then click the "Export" button to send all the icons to your camera roll at once.
If you are not going to build your own icons, Mycons also provides packages that you can purchase.
In a separate tab of Icon Studio, Mycons allows you to purchase icon packs from designers via a one-time in-app purchase. These prices range from $7.99 to $9.99 and include a set of backgrounds (wallpapers) to match custom icons. In some cases, these are also available in a variety of colors and styles.
After purchase, you can use this style with your own custom icon design. For example, this has an advantage over buying icon packs from Etsy, where you can only get a certain number of icons-but there is no tool to build your own matches, just in case you miss some.
At the time of release, the designs provided came from only three creators: Mycons developer Daniel McCarthy, artist Alanna Ranellone, and painter and photographer Jenna McCarthy.
Now that the application is online, Mycons is opening to other designers, who can apply to join the market through the link in the "Settings" tab of the application.
However, not all designs will be accepted, McCarthy said. Instead, the market will be planned to ensure that all designs are unique and high-quality.
After iOS 14 was released, the top 20 iOS home screen customization apps reached 5.7 million installations within a few days
McCarthy himself was a designer, and he said he plans to let Mycons' designer partners choose how they want to be paid: either at a competitive market price for contract work or as a percentage of sales.
If icon packs become popular, but the designer chooses the contract rate option, performance bonuses will also be provided.
"I always try to do fair and right things," McCarthy explained. "If a design partner chooses to contract work, and their design is a big success in the end, I won't let them get into trouble," he said.
Designers will also be credited to the app and allowed to link to their own website or social media account (if they wish). In this way, their Mycons market listing can be the leader of their own design business.
Mycons is available for free download via in-app purchase on the App Store.