Equip App

The client requested a custom app icon for their mobile app that would live publicly in smartphone app stores. While the app is currently accessible only to staff, the icon needed to feel fully on-brand and polished for a public-facing audience, with future external rollout in mind. The app serves as a platform for training videos and leadership resources designed to support growth and development in a church leadership context. The goal was to create a scalable, recognizable mark that aligned with existing brand standards while positioning the app confidently for broader use down the road.

I began the design process by defining what the app actually does and how it should make people feel, mapping out descriptive words and visual associations that could translate those ideas into a simple, meaningful icon. After exploring several directions, I kept coming back to the shepherd’s staff as a symbol of leadership and guidance—subtly faith-rooted without relying on overt church imagery, which felt important for an app that would eventually live publicly in app stores. I also explored concepts like a light bulb to represent learning and the concept of "lighting the way", tying back to the app’s role as a hub for training and leadership development. Visually, I anchored the final design in one of the church’s secondary brand colors, using teal to stay connected to the larger identity while ensuring the icon felt bold, modern, and instantly recognizable on a crowded phone screen.