After the release of iOS 7, many designers took to creating updated icons for the various apps and services featured within. The overall design language of iOS 7 introduced a new paradigm for app icons, one which was more flat and unified than the previous models.

Now well into 2014, we’ve seen a wealth of redesigned app icons created by a number of different designers. Throughout all of these redesigns though, there have been a few constants. Among them are the use of gradients, slight drop shadows and inconsistent shape sizes.

Triangle App Icons is a blog that has been designed to look like an app. Just in case you don’t have time to go through the entire collection, here are a few of my favorites.

Artifacts is a Mac app that lets you create beautiful, semi-transparent overlays that can be placed over your device’s existing icons to give them a new look. You can use Artifacts to transform the icons on your homescreen, in the Settings app, or just about any other place you find icons.

…Artifacts is $2.99 in the Mac App Store. Get it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/art…

Artifacts is a great way to breathe new life into your iOS device’s look and feel, and it’s priced just right for anyone looking for a way to personalize their iPhone or iPod touch without spending a lot of money. I’m using this on my iPad and phone, and I love having the ability to change things up whenever I want. I’d definitely recommend giving Artifacts a try!

When the first iPhone was released, we were blown away by its design and interface. We fell in love with the music player, which still has one of the best UIs to date. It’s clean, simple, and interactive.

But the icons on the home screen didn’t quite measure up. Then when iOS 7 came out and changed their appearance significantly, they were redesigned by Apple once again to mask their weaknesses.

But you know what they say: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! That’s why we’re happy to see that various icon designers are creating iOS icon packs that still look like the originals, but are updated and modernized to fit today’s aesthetic standards.

The idea is simple: take an original iPhone icon and redesign it for today’s taste. And since the icons have been around for a long time now, check out this handy comparison chart to see how each icon has changed over time.

This is a great design that’s quite easy to recreate. It’s been done in Photoshop, but I recommend you do it in Illustrator.

You could also use this technique to design icons for other things, such as your apps or your website. The possibilities are endless as long as you keep the basic design simple, which is why I recommend using simple shapes like triangles and squares.

There are no more excuses for mediocre design. If it doesn’t look great, it’s the designer’s fault. There is nothing outside the designer’s control that makes a difference. The only thing that can be blamed is bad design decisions.

The Mac and iPhone are powerful platforms with huge audiences of users who have high expectations of quality. Designers have never been able to hide behind substandard technology. They have to do their best work in order to get noticed, let alone succeed.