Improve Facebook Messenger's iOS and Android app store screenshots to help promote features and increase app installs.

I was tasked to redesign the screenshots shown in the app stores for both iOS and Android based on our internal search team’s decision to promote “Free international calls”, “Free video chat” and “Unlimited phone calls”.

Screenshots are often presented in a standardized way, which results in a high drop-rate after viewing the first two screenshots. I took this opportunity to make the images more dynamic and to incite curiosity by improving the aesthetics of the screenshots.

After doing some competitor research, I learned that even the most boring applications can look dynamic by highlighting core features.

After compiling my inspirations of apps in diverse categories, I set a few rules based on my best judgement:

No phones
Using a phone in screenshots is redundant, repetitive, and not a good use of space. Keep the focus on the UI and leave more space for the copy.  

Encourage scrolling
It’s important to add some visual element that incites the user's curiosity so they'll wonder what's on the next screen.

Tell a story
We should assume that most users will glance over the screenshots unless we can grab their attention. People don't like to read, we can design the screenshots with shorter copy so that the users can understand the app's benefits without viewing all the screenshots.

I begin exploring on paper and pen by studying the composition of visually dynamic App Store screenshots. As I begin designing thumbnails for Messenger, I prioritized making the screenshots dynamic by designing a directional composition leaning towards the right to encourage scrolling.

I prototyped my ideas on Photoshop and explored different layouts, and compositions. By putting an emphasis on simpler header titles, users can quickly recognize and understand the core feature of the application. Additionally, I emphasized the application itself by playing with size to make visually appealing compositions.

After receiving positive feedback from the client and internal teams and we’ve decided to move forward with this variation for A/B testing. I have not been updated with its performance.