What the Future of Logo Design Will Look Like The future of logo design is chaotic and looks entirely different than any other trend in the past.
By Zaheer Dodhia Edited by Dan Bova
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
A few years back, more than one graphic design company was predicting that logo design would be rising continuously in importance as branding became ever more vital to the growth of a startup. In a world that celebrates and prizes uniqueness and the "just be yourself!" approach more than ever before, it's only natural to view logo design trends as reflective of that same attitude. After all, logos are the identifier of a brand, the single most important piece of branding when it comes to bridging the gap between consumer and company.
So, while it's no surprise that graphic design studios that specialize in logo design will promote the importance of logos, it's also self-evident to entrepreneurs with a finger on the pulse that the significance of logos is almost impossible to overstate.
Related: Logo Design Doesn't Have To Be Hard
Other than a generic prediction that logos will continue to be a vital concern for entrepreneurs, what trends and developments do we have to look forward to? Here are four of my top picks for logo design in the next year.
Minimalism
This may seem like a simple prediction — maybe even minimally so, if you catch my drift — and it's not difficult to imagine it coming true. I've seen a growing trend towards minimalism in many areas of branding. It's not hard to see why; the more super-simple a logo is, the easier it is both to replicate and to remember.
Minimalist logos look easy to create, but that can be deceptive. It can take an accomplished designer or logo creator tool several iterations to get something that hits home.
And with how overwhelming everything seems to be today, throwing lavish, complicated branding into the mix could be counterintuitive.
Minimalist logos don't work for everyone, but as a general rule, I've seen that a simplified, stripped-down logo is more likely to be effective for most businesses. For everything else, we have the other three top trends, which take minimalism and blow it out of the water.
Related: 3 Reasons Simple Isn't Always Better When It Comes Logo Designs
Logomotion
I'm very excited to see where this one goes. Logomotion designs, or logos that include animated or moving components, are the natural next step of a society that is enamored with videos. Our attention is drawn to things that move. It's just that simple.
Picture a logo with a flag waving in the breeze. A logo with a lightbulb graphic that slowly lights up and then darkens again. A logo with a lion that roars — wait, MGM's got that one covered already.
Logomotion designs aren't practical for print, of course, but who uses print anymore anyhow? Especially in the business world, we're all about the digitization of our marketing and communication, so why not our branding? Logomotion logos are a perfect answer to the question, "How do I get people interested in my logo again?" I definitely think we'll be seeing more of these in the future.
Themed Alterations
I have to admit, if someone asked me to come up with an example for both this trend and the next one, I would probably point to Google. The truth is, Google is the foremost, most well-known example of both of these trends. That's because these trends are related, though not identical.
First of all, themed alteration logos are specifically tied to themes, such as holidays. It's a way of keeping your logo up to date with the times, as well as creating a deeper connection between your viewer and your brand. "You're getting ready for Halloween?" says a themed alteration logo. "Hey, us too! That's why we've changed our color palette to resemble candy corn!"
I like this trend because it's a simple way to keep logos fresh and new while still becoming established in the memory of the viewer.
Variable
Meanwhile, variable logos take themed alterations one step further, and here's why Google is a great example of this, too. A variable logo could be influenced by holidays and seasons, but they could just as easily not be. The style, color palette, sizing, shape, anything could change — it only requires that the logo has some common thread that makes it recognizable to the viewer. That could be something as basic as the brand name, or a simple graphic that is incorporated into each new design.
We live in a world that is constantly fluctuating, each day with new changes on the horizon. I think that's the main reason that we'll see more variable logos in the future — it's reflective of the reality in which we live. As entrepreneurs and business owners, as consumers and individuals, we change ourselves every day. Brand personality is one of the biggest factors that play into success, and if a brand has the same type of personality that its audience does, it makes that connection even stronger.
Your audience adapts and changes — maybe your logo should too.
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This is the Future
It's a fact that logos are here to stay, but the styles and trends that go into design decisions could be here today and gone tomorrow. We talk about creating a logo design that is truly "timeless," but it's easier said than done.
And trends are trends for a reason. They're eye-catching, expressive, and memorable. They can be the name badge for your next venture.
Whether or not you choose to follow an innovation or trend in logo design is up to you — but the future of your own brand may hang in the balance.
