If you clicked on this article trying to find different design styles that will make your logo better in 2021… I am sorry to disappoint you but your logo should never… ever… be trendy.
Now, this may seem a little shocking to some of you but it’s actually one of the best
pieces of advice I can give a business or logo designer.
When you think of the infamous logos (McDonalds, Apple, etc.) are they explicitly
complex and fitting of the time they were created?
No. Of course not.
If that were the case, McDonalds would have a very 50’s feel to the logo, and Apple a
very 70’s look. The reality is, they’re very simple, and for good reason.
To know why they aren’t “trendy” you need to understand the purpose of a logo.
What is the purpose of a logo?
The purpose of a logo is timeless recognition. Therefore, if a logo is based solely on
what’s trending it becomes completely obsolete once that trend dies.
Not ideal for brand longevity and definitely not fitting the criteria of timeless recognition.
A logo doesn’t convince people to buy, nor does it directly generate revenue. It definitely
doesn’t pitch to customers, and you can’t use it to manage current customers.
It’s an identity.
This doesn’t mean it has to explain everything about your brand, it simply has to be a
recognisable graphic that you, and your brand, have no problem standing beside for a
LONG time.
While it has to explain a little about your brand, it shouldn’t talk too much. After all, your
brand isn’t just a logo; that’s merely one element of it.
Can’t I just change my logo with the trends?
No. No. No.
The second you change your logo your entire brand shifts. You lose an immense
amount of brand awareness among your existing and wider market. Alongside this, it
makes building a solid brand foundation extremely difficult.
The logo is a part of your core identity; so if your identity is constantly changing, how
can you expect people to keep up?
You wouldn’t change your name to fit trends. So why is a logo any different?
Stability is the key here. If your brand stands strong for long enough, eventually people
take notice. Remember, people have to see something 7 times for it to really stick in
their mind, so if your logo keeps changing, they’re never going to remember it.
So what makes a logo trendy in the long run?
Simplicity.
When you look at the most recognisable logos of all time, they’re very rarely complex
designs compiled with intricate detail.
More often than not they’re made of relatively basic shapes or concepts. See, retaining
simplicity acts as a shield to the curse of trends.
Trends die, but simplicity doesn’t. It’s the foundation from which all design stems from
so, naturally, it’s a little difficult to change.
By being simple, your logo can weather the storms of different trends. McDonalds saw
out the popping 50’s, trippy 60’s, groovy 70’s, and so on, by focusing on a logo that
didn’t need changing.
It was solid enough, and recognisable enough, that changing it was only ever going to
cause more harm than good.
The bottom line is this:
The best logo design trend is not to follow one.
