Launch Creative Playbook for One Designer: Prioritize Icons, Screenshots & a 30s Preview Video That Actually Converts

When resources are limited, focus on the three creatives that drive the most clicks and installs: the app icon, the top 2–3 screenshots (phone), and a 25–30 second preview video. The icon is the grid-level hook in search and category pages; screenshots communicate value at a glance; the preview video converts attention into install intent by showing the product in motion.

Build these three assets so they’re modular: the icon scales into the video end-card, screenshots use the same color and typography system, and video frames match screenshot crops. That single design system minimizes rework when you need variations for A/B tests or different form factors.

Use one master artboard per asset and export multiple sizes from it. For icons use a master PNG at 1024×1024 (no transparency) and export required device sizes from there for app bundles and marketing. Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines require a full-size 1024×1024 PNG as the source; Google Play also accepts the same 1024×1024 for the store icon.

For screenshots, design at 1080×1920 px (portrait phone) as your primary artboard — export at 72–150 DPI as PNG or JPEG (keep file size under Google Play limits, typically 8 MB). Export a matching 9:16 portrait for App Store (the storefront will crop/scale) and also export a landscape 1920×1080 if your app benefits from a wide frame (games, video apps). For preview videos, render a 1920×1080 MP4 at H.264, 30 fps, and keep length to 25–30 seconds; vertical previews are supported by the App Store in the same aspect as screenshots, but a landscape MP4 is safe for Play Console placements — keep a vertical version for iOS when possible.

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Treat the preview video as a condensed product demo: open with a one-line benefit (3–4s), show 2–3 real UI interactions (6–8s each), and close with a branded end-card (3–4s) that includes the icon and CTA. Keep overlays short and readable; test without audio because app stores often autoplay without sound.

Create a four-row storyboard grid: row 1 = timecodes and hero copy, row 2 = full-screen UI frame, row 3 = caption and lower-third CTA, row 4 = export notes (duration, aspect, format). Use this template for each scene so you can hand off a compact script to a motion editor or export straight from your design tool using simple keyframe animation.

Adopt a strict naming and folder convention so you (or anyone who replaces you) can find master files and exported variants instantly. A compact, battle-tested convention for one designer looks like: /assets/{platform}/{assetType}/{assetName}_v{major}.{minor}_{w}x{h}.{ext}. Example: /assets/ios/icons/appicon_v1.0_1024x1024.png

Keep a lightweight changelog file in the root of the assets folder (CHANGELOG_ASSETS.md) with one-line entries documenting what changed and why — this avoids redundant exports and helps when you run A/B tests. Use semantic versioning for visual experiments (v1.0 baseline, v1.1 colour tweak, v2.0 layout change).

With limited bandwidth, run narrow A/B tests that change a single variable at a time. Start with icon color vs. baseline, then test first screenshot headline copy, then video vs. screenshots-only. Use the store experiments in App Store Connect or Google Play Console (or a third‑party tool) to run sequential tests and treat results as directional when sample sizes are small.

Prioritize quick wins: if an icon color change yields a measurable CTR lift, apply the color to screenshots and video end-card to compound the effect. Always keep the baseline version available and document test hypotheses, duration, and required sample size before you run each experiment.