Business Logo Design Trends You Need to Know in 2019
Human beings like patterns. It is in our nature. This means that if you need to come up with a new business logo design, it is good practice to include styles that your target audience will be able to recognise easily.
Now to find an effective logo design trend that is distinguishable is easier said than done. Just because a particular design element has been used in a lot of logo designs does not necessarily mean that it is a trend. It could just happen to be a style that can be regarded as a classic (for instance, the frequent use of negative space is one such example).
Many times the issue with trends is that they do not help to communicate what it is that your business regard as important. The key, therefore, is not to include them in your custom logo design without questioning whether or not they will really apply to your business and its needs. An ecommerce website that sells luxury products will have different logo design requirements to an online marketing company that provides cheap websites.
Knowing what is trending when it comes to creating logos is, therefore, still worthwhile. So, begin with the following business logo design trends, which will most likely remain popular for some significant time to come.
Make it simpler
To make your business logo design simpler is not a new craze. Ogilvy, MailChimp, and Uber are just a couple of great examples of how logo designs can be changed to create something simpler. For a couple of years already, many logo designers have chosen to go the route of simplification, and it does not look as if this direction is going to change any time soon.
In short, simplification in terms of logo design refers to avoiding pointless decorative elements deliberately. Instead, logo designers will opt for a logo design that is uncomplicated in form, nature, and design. In other words, something that is essentially without frills.
These days, brands and businesses will either look at how they can make their current logo design simpler, or totally recreate it so that it is uncomplicated, yet elegant.
There are a couple of different reasons why a brand or business would want to make their business logo design simpler. One possible reason is to draw the focus away from recent bad press so that their target audience can view the business in a new way. This way, the logo can help a business that has existed for a long time to move forward and grow for it to become more present-day. Whatever the reason might be, the trend to make it simpler is present everywhere.
Responsive logo designs
How logo designers approach their projects is currently being influenced by digital requirements (and quite significantly too). And, it is more than just merely making a custom logo design simpler. As more and more users access websites from mobile devices, it is becoming even more crucial that your logos are responsive.
When it comes to responsive logo design, size is not the only thing that matters. For a logo to be responsive, you need to be able to change the size completely for the web without it becoming less clear or readable. This usually means that the logo will become less elaborate.
Though a new craze has started to emerge… Nowadays, logos are starting to use data and then adapting their behaviour. In other words, it is taking on a more dynamic identity. For instance, the logo can change slightly when a website visitor signs in to his/her account.
Genuineness and originality
If your brand or business does boast an impressive presence online, you will be more inclined to want to make your business logo design simpler (as explained previously).
However, it might actually not be the most suitable course of action for your custom logo design. If you want to convey the idea to your target audience that you value natural beauty, you might want to take a somewhat opposite approach. For instance, if you sell wine or food, you will want to create a custom logo design that communicates authenticity. This can be achieved by opting for hand-drawn logos that boast a more rough, somewhat unrefined feel.
In short, when you are designing logos, to be authentic means to be truthful about who you are, or in simpler terms – not to try and be a completely different business. As a result, the key question that begs to be asked is how you can be genuine and truthful if you are incorporating the same typeface as countless other similar businesses, specifically in your field?
One solution to solve this dilemma is to follow YouTube’s route and create your very own custom font. So, instead of making use of a popular font, more and more businesses are instructing logo designers to come up with a one-of-a-kind typeface. Plus, as online license fees have increased very steeply, there is an added incentive to create your own font. Netflix is another example of a company that has opted to create their very own font instead in a bid to improve user engagement even further.
And it is not just fonts… More and more businesses are also paying more attention to the use of colour. They realise that they cannot effectively reach younger users in particular by simply just copying and pasting the same shade of school bus yellow.
As a result, businesses are looking at colour through a different lens and making sure that the colour combos that they include in their custom logo design complement the persona of their brand persona – instead of just opting for a colour that their target market will find pleasing to the eye.
What makes crafting a business logo design that is genuine and original so great is that there is no precise plan that you must follow. The most important tip would be to question every design decision that you take to make sure that the final design does, in fact, represent your business in the right light. After all, a little bit of self-reflection can never hurt.
Sensibility
The good news is that your business can still be portrayed authentically, yet boast a logo that is not too adorned. There is another reason why logos are simplified. It might be the current trend, but opting for a simpler logo is also, as a matter of fact, the more sensible thing to do. A simpler logo design is more sustainable as it will remain attractive for a longer time. Classic designs remain popular for a much longer time than designs that are too closely linked to the most recent crazes.
This means that it might be better to opt for classic design elements instead of creating a completely different logo every few years that slavishly adopts the trends. After all, if you feel the need to innovate your identity, you can do so by paying attention to other points of contact or interaction between your business and its customers. The logo does not always have to be the go-to element if you want to introduce something new.
Carlsberg, for instance, opted for a more lasting logo design. Seeing that sustainability is one of the latest buzz phrases (and with very good reason), more businesses should instruct their logo designers to come up with designs that are more permanent and do not need to be changed every so often.
Trends are great for adverts, though not that suitable if the goal is to design something that should still look suitable a couple of years down the line.
Gradients
Just because you have made your logo design simpler does not mean that it has to be void of any interesting elements. Lately, logo designers have started to turn their design skills to colour by incorporating gradients. You have most likely seen how Apple does not take a low-key approach to using gradients in their iconic logo design.
If that is a little bit too much for your liking, but you like the idea of gradients, you can use it in a more subdued way. A good example of a brand that has done this successfully is Waitrose. In their logo, they use a couple of stripes in different shades of green. In short, it is almost as if they have pulled the gradient apart.
“Stop, collaborate and listen”
Although sustainability is high up on the list of business logo design trends, businesses can (and should) still make time to experiment with a one-off logo. Recently a couple of big brands have come up with some logo designs that were created with the sole purpose of only being used once.
By collaborating with, for example, a fashion designer, popular music channel, or fashion store, your business can connect with Generation Z. To members of this generation, it is important that they continuously find ways to set themselves apart from the crowd. It is important to them that a fusion of modern culture influences their style. In short, they want to want to be seen as an individual with a style of their own.
This means that if your brand or business wants to attract this younger target audience, you should consider using a mashup to create a playful one-off custom logo design. You might think that this approach is counterintuitive as you will, in effect, make your brand “weaker” by joining forces with another business, but mashups can be very effective. After all, a little bit of innovation and fun cannot hurt? Your core business logo design will still be used long-term, but a non-primary logo like this can be used very effectively on accessories and clothing to help market a campaign or promotion.
Last points to ponder
If you do something boldly unconventional with your business logo design and opt for something innovative (like creating a one-off logo by mashing up your logo with another brand), potential customers will take notice of your business. That being said, your target audience will not, in every instance, take notice of your business for the right reason, though. In those instances that you realise that you did get your logo design wrong, acknowledge it.
If there is nothing wrong with your current logo design, guard against thinking that you need to “fix” it by introducing dramatic changes. Many times businesses get rid of their heritage in an attempt to incorporate brand new trends. If there is an element that most people like about your logo, do not cast it aside just to try and be more modern. As mentioned, authenticity cannot be replaced (a lesson that several brands had to learn).
That being said, if something is broken within the company, a new logo design is not a quick fix that will get your customers to form new opinions of your products or services.
For more information on custom logo design, contact our friendly Sydney web design team.