iOS Developer
🎨 Simple (and Free) Tools I Use to Build Beautiful App Assets
As an indie developer, I care a lot about clean visuals — but I don't always have the time (or budget) for full design teams or paid SaaS tools. Over time, I've built a small personal stack of free resources that help me quickly create professional-looking app visuals, without sacrificing quality.
These tools have become part of my regular workflow, especially when I was building and promoting my iOS app Vionote. I thought I'd share them in case they help you too.
1️⃣ Design-Ready App Icons with icon.kitchen
If you've ever tried to generate iOS or Android app icons by hand — especially with all the different sizes and formats required — you know it can be a pain.
icon.kitchen is a simple tool that generates perfectly sized and platform-optimized icons based on your uploaded SVG or PNG logo. No extra configuration, no subscription.
What I like about it:
- Real-time preview of what your icon will look like on different platforms
- One-click export for iOS and Android
- Free and no account required
💡 I used it to generate the original Vionote app icon — fast, easy, and beautiful.
2️⃣ Phone Mockups Made Easy with MockUPhone
When it comes to promoting an app, screenshots are everything. But plain raw screenshots don't always communicate polish. I use MockUPhone to wrap my screenshots in clean, realistic device frames.
What's great:
- Support for dozens of iOS, Android, tablet, and laptop frames
- High-res exports in seconds
- No watermark or payment required
It's a great way to make your landing page, App Store images, or blog visuals pop — I used it heavily while preparing visuals for Vionote's launch.
3️⃣ Compress Without Losing Quality: TinyPNG
App Store screenshots, marketing images, and website assets — they all add up. To keep things lightweight and loading fast, I use TinyPNG to compress all PNG and JPG images before uploading.
Why it's a must-have:
- Drastically reduces image file size without noticeable quality loss
- Drag-and-drop UI, no signup required
- Supports batch uploads (great for screenshot sets)
It's a small step that makes a big difference — especially if your audience is on mobile or slow connections.
🚀 Bonus: Why These Matter for Indie Devs
You don't need expensive subscriptions or design degrees to make your app look good. With a few well-picked tools like these, you can build a clean visual identity for your product, improve performance, and stand out in crowded app stores — just like I tried to do with Vionote.
Do you have a favorite free tool you swear by? I'd love to hear about it.
Want to see how I used these tools in action?
Check out Vionote, a tool I built to add searchable notes directly onto photos and videos — something I needed badly during our product testing process.
All visuals on the landing page? Yup, built with the three tools above.
