The iOS App Icon Book Review: a celebration of app icons of the past

It’s been nearly 15 years since the first iPhone was launched and almost as long since the creation of Apple’s App Store. In that time, millions of apps have found their way onto Apple devices – each with its own distinctive icon. As a relatively new form of art, The iOS App Icon Book is unlike most other art books you will come across.

About the book

The iOS App Icon Book contains a variety of icons for iPhone apps from the last decade. Some of these icons are familiar to you, while others may be newer.

Danish designer Michael Flarup has been working on the book since 2018. Flarup took his love for design and app icons and made it into a beautiful coffee table book. This project, which began as a Kickstarter campaign has been a huge success. It’s easy to see that this book was born out of a love of the craft of icon design.

The iOS App Icon Book also comes with a thank you note with an “Iconist” sticker and a stencil the author designed that he uses in his work. It’s a nice touch to an already good-looking book.

Throughout, you’ll not only gain an appreciation for the thoughtfulness and the work put into these designs, but you may also learn something. Additionally, the author makes it clear that this is not a textbook on how to design app icons but offers tidbits of information for those who are interested in the craft.

There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to which icons made the cut. Flarup includes many of his pieces, as he created them over time. You can see how icons have changed throughout the years. Many of these apps you will recognize by only seeing its icon.

Artist spotlights

Within its 163 pages, you’ll find various spotlights of app icon artists, featuring interview questions about their career. This is Marc Edwards, an Australian artist. This interview captures his journey to designing icons for apps, as well as how it is currently set up. It also includes advice about how to start, how to do so, and much more. These rare insights gives us a look at the faces behind some of these famous app icons.

While it is easy to enjoy this book as an Apple blogger, it may not be for you. As the book title suggests, the app icons are purely related to iOS – so don’t try to give this book to your hardcore Android friend. However, this is a great gift for digital art lovers and Apple enthusiasts alike. This is a great way to preserve and appreciate the artwork of technology that we all use every day. It also shows us where we came from and allows us to celebrate the progress.

Pre-order The iOS App Icon Book now

You can pre-order The iOS App Icon Book for EUR60 with orders currently shipping. This book will only be available in hardcopy and no digital versions are planned.

Let us know in the comments if you plan on picking up a copy.