Design Science: How to Create Effective App Store Screenshots
Zach Spitulski • November 13, 2025
App Screenshots are incredibly important: they might be the only visual users see when deciding whether or not to download your product. As a former UX Designer/Researcher working for companies large and small for nearly 20 years (building thousands of screenshots and marketing projects), I’ve seen art styles change, but the core principles for effective storytelling are timeless.
Using the principles outlined below helps ButterKit achieve an excellent App Store conversion rate of 5-7% consistently, and sometimes as high as 10+% (shown below).
ButterKit conversion rate on the App Store in September 2025 (Source: App Store Connect > Analytics > Benchmarks)
Storytelling
Start with the problem
Products are simply solutions to problems. Your first 2 screenshots should prioritize the problem you’re solving and answer the question “what problem does this app solve for me, the user?”
Example: “Tracking your favorite TV shows got complicated. My app makes it easy.”
Use features as the solution (heroes in your story)
Feature A: See where to watch your favorite shows, anytime
Feature B: Automatic notifications when new episodes air
Think of your screenshots as a storyboard
Your screenshots tell your app story
Include Social Proof Early
When a user is browsing the App Store and sees your screenshots, they’re not just evaluating features, they’re also asking (implicitly): “Are other people like me using this? Do they trust it? What does my social group say about this?” Because our brains are wired to pay attention to what others are doing, you can leverage this via social proof cues.
Social psychologists have long known that human beings often make choices about what to think, and what to do, based on the thoughts and actions of others.
— Robert Cialdini, Professor of Psychology in his paper about the science of persuasion1
Include customer quotes
Customer reviews/quotes are effective social proof, include them early in your screenshots and let your users tell your story. It’s more reputable and trustworthy than saying it yourself.
A positive customer review immediately builds trust
Examples:
- Positive reviews from real users who give permission to be included in marketing materials
- Number of downloads (e.g. “Trusted by over 500 developers”)
Highlight awards and news coverage
Including any awards your app has received, or any news/blog coverage (with permission) establishes trust and legitimacy.
Prioritize sources your audience may recognize
Visual Tips
Use fewer colors
Stick to a strict color palette that reinforces your app/brand. One of the most common design mistakes I find in App Store Screenshots is too many colors and inconsistent typography, causing the design to feel overwhelming and inconsistent.
Use fewer typographic styles
If you’re using a traditional design tool, lean on “Styles” or reusable typographic settings to keep things consistent. A good rule of thumb is to have a Title, a Subtitle, and (optionally) a smaller Caption. More than those 3 styles is likely too many.
“Negative space” is a positive thing
It can be tempting to make everything as large as possible. However, “negative space” (aka padding, or breathing room) is what brings focus to your design. An example I think about a lot: how a single chair on an empty stage demands your attention.
"Negative space" or breathing room leads to a more focused and polished visual design
Keep it simple
In the UX design field, a common rule is Miller’s Law2 which states that the average person can only keep 7 (plus or minus 2) items in their working memory. And some recent studies have shown human attention spans shrunk from 2.5 minutes to just 45 seconds.3 Keep this in mind with your visual design and avoid overwhelming users with too much information at once. Limit each artboard/screenshot to 1 focus.
Consistency is key
In general, keeping your design consistent will make it more effective. This is true of the visuals, and your storytelling. Reinforce consistent colors, typography, layout, and storytelling to achieve the highest conversions.
Avoid slop
It can be tempting to turn to quick and cheap image generators (I’ve made this mistake myself), but users can tell. The internet is filled with low-effort slop. But this is an opportunity for genuine, high quality content to stand out above the rest. Giving your design a human touch will remind people it’s real.
Consider using a high quality template
Even if just as a starting point, a well-designed template will help structure your story and create visual consistency. ButterKit templates are professionally designed in-house and are provided for free. They are easy to use, intuitive, and designed to help you reach more users and tell the story you’ve worked so hard to build.
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The above quote is excerpted from Robert Cialdini, Regents’ Professor of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University talk in his research paper about the science of persuasion released January 3, 2007. ↩︎
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Miller’s Law is defined in the Laws of UX published by Jon Yablonski. ↩︎
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The above data is sourced from Cyrus Moulton’s article published by Northeastern University on January 23, 2024. ↩︎