Firstly, I would not consider the following practice is good before I read Apple HIG. It seems hard to get the main point of what the article is about, and it certainly does not showcase the identity of the subject matter. But Apple says, “Incorporate a brand’s assets in a refined, unobtrusive way.”
Secondly, I have always wondering why music apps did not incorporate Shake gesture to switch to the next song in a playlist. But Apple says, “Avoid associating different actions with the standard gestures.”
Lastly, I really loved some of the loading animations and tutorials. But Apple says, “Start instantly.”
I’m not sure what you mean with your first point. In a mobile app, you’ve entered it by tapping on a big brand logo, so that’s the best place to incorporate branding. Keep the limited space available on screen for content, instead of wasting valuable pixels to branding. App users know what app they’re using and don’t need to be reminded.
We spoke about the shake gesture in class, but I’d reemphasize that it is awkward to do and is a hidden gesture, so I highly discourage using it.
The HIG is right that you should just get to the real content of your app quickly. Intro animations can be entertaining perhaps once, but when I have to sit through even a 3 second animation to get to my app, it can get frustrating. I just want to use the app.