Do you follow logo design trends?
Trends quickly come and go in logo design, which can leave your corporate identity looking dated almost before it’s rolled out.
It’s easy to say, “I don’t follow trends”, but with so many internal and external influences surrounding us, how can we honestly say we’re not affected by what others are doing?
Here’s a LogoLounge article on 2007 trends. I’m not too keen on most of those logo designs, but I can’t say I’m not going to use the ideas for inspiration. They can just as easily tell me what to do, as they can what not to do, so it’s all about gathering information. The more you know, the more suitable you are to provide a result that works for an individual situation. It’s like design research. You don’t create a new logo design without compiling research on the company you’re designing for.
Just because you don’t like a certain style of logo, does that mean you should simply say, “That’s no good”, and move on?
I don’t think so. The alternative is to take stock of what’s happening in the logo design world, to see how people are communicating, and to gain an insight into different ideas and concepts.
For me, it’s all about finding out what I believe works, and using it to my advantage.
Do you follow logo design trends?
I’d like to know your thoughts on this. If you’re a designer, do you follow trends? Do you create your own style? Can you create your own style without following trends?
To see some of my own logo designs, view my graphic design portfolio.
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31 spot-on reader comments to “Do you follow logo design trends?”
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Thanks for the LogoLounge link, David. I’ll get to it on the weekend - it’s a nice long read ;-)
As for following the trends - one thing I know for sure - none of my logos will have a reflective shadow. As for inspiration - it can be found in old classic logos as easily as it can be in the modern trendy ones. Usually, I look at the logo and note to myself what I liked and didn’t care much about its design, sometimes I think how would I’ve designed it, and in the end store all observations in my memory bank :-)
I remember the swoosh fad. I don’t quite recall when it was, but I remember seeing every new logo accompanied by a swoosh or Nike-esque tick. There appears to be a Web 2.0 logo trend too.
Yes, you’re right about following trends and fashions unconsciously. We only have to look at our clothes and hair styles. Some of the logos you showed will likely go the way of fluorescent bell bottoms.
How’s the Google thing going? Any improvement?
I think it is impossible for a designer to not follow logo design trends or any design trends for that matter. We are surrounded by inspiration and there isn’t really a way for us to escape that— not that it is a bad thing, I welcome any inspiration I can find.
Even if you were to try and ignore all the logos around you to find inspiration you would almost be certain to get stuck in one style, or pattern which could prove to be more detrimental to any creativity you may be able to inspire without following logo trends.
So… short answer, yes?
johno… the swoosh will never die! i reflect them.
Well, no, I don’t :) Then again, I’m not a logo designer. Ok, on second thought, yes, I do follow design trends, you sort of have to. Your logo reminded me of this article though:
http://www.gdusa.com/feature/4_03/trends.php
Nice post Dave.
I would have to contend that EVERYONE follows trends, regardless if they are old or new. There has to be something to build off of or destroy . Something that proceeds and something that exceeds. It seems both ignorant and arrogant for someone to deny that they do…and that extends beyond logotypes.
Putting your own twist on something does not make you exempt either. Even some of these logos pay homage to logos that have already been out for quite sometime. There is no shame in it, typographers do it all the time. The grid seems like a trend that has stood the test of time.
…and I don’t think the swoosh is a trend, I think it’s diarrhea. Unless diarrhea is a trend by which only stupid people choose to follow it.
You’re very welcome for the link.
Ah, the reflective logo. I find it a shame every time I come across another reflection. They were interesting at the beginning, when they were new, and I thought, oooo, that’s a little different, but looking back, I’m not keen on them at all, and think they cheapen a logo.
John,
No joy as yet with Google. Today I’m ranking #54 for ‘david airey’. When I filed the ‘re-inclusion request’ through webmaster tools, it said that if a reverse is decided upon, it could take some weeks, so I’ll wait patiently. Thanks for asking though.
Dustin,
I completely agree that looking at what others have done is a great source of inspiration. You’re placing a limit on yourself otherwise. Also, good on you with the reflected swoosh. Certainly one for the portfolio.
Kyle,
I read one of your comments, saying that you want to improve on logo designing. No matter how the balance of web and print work fluctuates, there’ll always be a need for logos, which is one of my reasons for focusing more.
How come my logo reminded you of the article you linked to? I’ve seen that one before. There are a few nice design trend articles floating about. My logo is one that is quite similar to a lot of others (when you view the ‘DA’ symbol on its own). That’s one of the reasons you rarely see my name separated from the initials. In fact, I’ve not really used the ‘DA’ mark anywhere, except perhaps an avatar or two.
Michael,
Yep, you can’t put your own twist on something, unless you’ve taken inspiration from what’s there in the first place.
Thanks all, for your thoughts.
designers look for ideas through other ideas and make their own through them. I myself do that. However, most logos are part of their own trends already or… similar to others someway, somehow. No matter how unique we can think of on making logos, we most of the time end up making a similar logo to a logo which is already out there.
Trends are good, they make the world go round. But innovation is even better. Yet, there are not so many people out there really capable of innovation. And with logo design that’s even more difficult, especially when you have a difficult customer.
The “eight” logo - you know what I am talking about - is a clear example of innovation in design.
Do I follow trends? Sure. I like simplicity. (Tse, my blog doesn’t have a simple design… but what I create for my clients is quite straightforward) So I basically follow the “Web 2.0″ design trends, minus a few aspects.
PS: thank you for the compliment. The new avatar is what I use at gravatar. This one is the mybloglog avatar. God… so many accounts, I almost lose track of them…
I remember a post you made about subliminal advertising and I personally think that sometimes it’s not the trends, but what we see around us that has an impact on the design created.
I don’t really follow log trends but I visit FAVEUP gallery frequently. You can find a lot of great logos there.
I saw this list about a week ago, can’t remember where I found it though. I filed it away in del.icio.us. I think you’re right, David (and many others said the same thing) that it’s good for reference, but I would not necessarily design my logos in these styles. I looked at the 2006 trends, too, and I didn’t much care for those either. I think what I don’t like the most is that they don’t follow good logo guidelines, like those ones you’ve written up. The biggest one they violate is that they don’t reproduce at smaller sizes very well because they are too complicated. Still, they are interesting designs and might look good applied somewhere other than a logo (like a website design, brochure, invitation, etc).
I try hard not to be led by design trends, but sometimes I find that it’s necessary to back down when it comes to clients who know what they want.
I’ve had the privaledge of creating several logos for companies who have then gone through the process of obtaining a registered trademark. This meant that a totally different design process was required, because you only register a mark (i.e. no colour, no shading - just the shape). I believe that this forced me to be more original/creative, despite it being a massively restrictive process!
“nothing new under the sun”. Aesthetics are always inspried. That being said you are completely correct. Good job finding and grouping obvious trends in some sample logos. That is the perfect visual.
I can’t help but be influenced, no one can.
One suggestion….
Make a logo relevant to the company/ brand…. and then render it in a way that may be a “current style” or “trend”. Like Nike… Nike is a swoosh and a certain font we know well… however, they may tweak it with surround decorations, fills, tweaks, to fit a trend. Wish I had a visual to accompany this comment. Does it make sense? I just did a logo for my Gazelle brand… The true logo is flat, but for my site i 3D’d it. The logo will stay the same, but at times it may be rendered differently.
I’m just a student, but even I have been able to notice and spot logo and design trends over the past couple years, and a lot of them were in the article…so I felt good that I could identify them.
In one section of the article, they talked about transparency in logo design. I found that interesting, because it reminded me of an article I read a while ago. A famous designer made a comment along the lines of ‘transparency and gradients are the hallmarks of a poor designer’.
Ever since I read that, I have made it a point to avoid using them as much as possible. But, now that I am seeing that transparency is in fact a logo trend (albeit a new/short one), I am wondering if I should change my attitude about it?
Is it wrong to say (in design) “if all the other designers do it, I should do it too”?
I would certainly say that it is impossible not to influenced by the imagery that we are bombarded with every day. But everyone’s interpretation of these influences and how their designs evolve because of them will be different.
Saw a cool program about this a few years ago where a couple of graphic designers were taken on a bus ride to a clients office where they were given a design brief. The designs that they both came up with incorporated at least three of the visual ideas that had been ‘planted’ in there heads on their bus journey…very intersting program. Sorry can’t remember what it was called.
Toni
For me, it’s impossible not to be influenced. I am an beginning designer, and I look to the bigger, better designers for inspiration. We all know that truly classic, timeless logos are created by NOT following the trends, but for people like me I have to learn to get to that point by looking at what’s hot.
Is it near impossible to create a truly original, and effective, logo design? You can pretty much rest assured that if you’ve designed it, someone else already has. I’d like to be wrong on that though.
Mig,
I know exactly what it’s like to have so many different accounts. There are about five or six passwords I regularly use (probably not enough), and it’s common for me to try a couple before I actually get the right one.
Rammel, Toni,
Here’s that subliminal advertising video clip you both mention. It’s a good one.
Marko,
I’m not familiar with FAVEUP, but will certainly check it out. Cheers.
Lauren,
I had exactly the same thoughts as you when I first saw the different logos. Scalability is so important that I’m surprised so many don’t take it into account.
Paul,
I’d love to read an account of your registration process, as it’s something I’ve not had much experience with. There’s an idea for a blog post. ;)
Zabs,
You make total sense, and what you mention can be seen in the Open University logo design I mention in my ‘What makes a great logo?‘ post. It’s a classic mark, updated every so slightly to reflect modern trends.
Rebecca,
It’s great to have strong opinions on design when you’re a student, especially what constitutes good design. Once you know the basics, you’re then qualified to break those rules.
Wait until you begin working with clients, and you might find that no matter how much you don’t like a certain style, or trend, there’s no disuading the client from using it. They could say, “I really like this style, and want something the same.” What can you do? If you must follow a trend, ensure the design is simple i.e. memorable and scalable.
Chris,
Best of luck with your studies, and thanks for visiting / commenting. It’s much appreciated.
Noted - althought it’s mostly paperwork and prayer! ;) I’ll see what I can do..!
It seems nowadays design is a bit complex. :) Oh, creativity never end. Never ending creation of a design is just so cool.
Thanks David, Should have known you would have blogged on this! ;)
Ken,
It’s what keep me in the field, the creative expression.
Toni,
More of a coincidence really, but a good one!
I think design trends are always at the back of your mind. The subconscious mind is a powerful thing!!
Everybody has own style, when u look at the Saul Bass’s posters, when u listen to U2, when u watch Inarritu Gonzales movies, Gaugain or Mondrian paintings. You r distinguished by our style. And that is the deal. U can create nice logo, but it has to work with corporate identity guidelines. Logo is one thing, but match it all in identity and be unique, that is not that easy. I don’t beleive in trends, I beleive in vision, practical use and no balance in relation logo vs customer. Represent it truly
Whether you believe in trends or not, it’s important to at least acknowledge them, and to know that other people place value in them (whether that’s right or wrong).
I agree that a simple logo isn’t going to be effective unless used wisely. It’s only one part of a brand.
I must say, that i hate trends in logo. I’m trying to walk my own way in logodesign. For the first, i use my head, empty sheet of paper and pencil ;) when i see a trends’n’stuff (like gradients etc.) in logo, without any deeper idea, i see that this design is very poor. Good logo is an idea and black color! Nothin’ more…
I agree we can all be influenced by logo trends, but don’t believe you have to follow them. How did these trends start in the first place…? Someone tried something different and the rest followed. It all depends if you’re the innovator or the follower. Personally, I think the innovator is the best position to be in.
Thanks very much for commenting.
Alan,
I completely agree. Better to lead than follow.
In saying that, I also believe you must first follow before you can lead.
Personally, I think trends make it easier to set yourself apart. I find that my more worldly clients know exactly what trend they don’t want. In the pursuit of the “quickfix”, designers may forget to innovate/elevate their source of inspiration. In my opinion, this is why trends have a time limit and originality is perpetual.