I also think the contest guidelines are partly to blame. The whole, “avoid the corporate vector look, look at these super detailed illustrations” thing is horrendous advice. It basically translates to, “avoid doing what the most talented app icon designers in the world do.”

Yes, the icon should be fun and stand out. Yes, the Facebook “f” is boring as fuck. But some of the greatest app icons are extremely simple, and there are reasons for that. Fine details don’t display well in the actual contexts that icons are used in; they make the design seem muddy and confused. People resonate with clear design that knows its purpose.