As I ponder the logo selections we reviewed this year, I try to read the tea leaves, if you will, to see where we’re headed.
It’s not a straight path by any means. In fact, I’d liken it to a scavenger hunt where designers are searching for clues in various places, picking up hints along the way. They’re looking for direction because the idea of a traditional logo has changed dramatically in recent years. Where the logo was once the centerpiece of a visual brand, it’s not uncommon to see it take a back seat to other elements in the graphic family.
For instance, in recent years we’ve seen more inventive visual experimentation in wordmarks than logos. Some companies don’t see the value in having a separate mark to define who they are. If you can read the name, why have a logo?
If achieving resonance & loyalty is dependent on alternate visual elements, so be it.”
Beyond gradients, there’s this trend where basic icons and letterforms are continuously morphing into different iterations. Imagine a single mark rendered in an endless array of 3D, 2D, and every other dimension of materials and texture. Either AI is getting a real work out here or some conscious thought is going into these—the possibilities are endless.
And with so many brands primarily living online, a plentitude of logos are now entirely RGB—these elements will never be printed on a poster or T-shirt. Designers are pushing technology to an extreme and it works because that is what consumers recognize and have come to expect. For many, physical application is now the tail and not the dog.
With brands primarily living online, a plentitude of logos are entirely RGB—will never be printed.”
Stickers have become so ubiquitous that they’ve become a digital element to share a sentiment or feeling without necessarily showing a logo. If it is a logo, it’s probably tipped jauntily to give the appearance of a sticker.
The lowercase letter g had a great year. It’s become the letter of choice for designers, as they manipulate the little ascender to create a personality. If you’ve got a g to work with, you’re golden this year.
The really exceptional designers are doing a lot of experimentation and there are some bold clients looking for that next thing and allowing themselves to be the catalyst for the new look. They’re breaking away from what’s become expected because, at a certain point, we reach saturation. Our propensity for snow blindness to certain aesthetics is cycling so quickly that many clients are clamoring for fresh brand paint before the first layer is dry.
The designers leading the change are like a band leader in a parade—they only need to be a few steps ahead, because if they get too far out front, the band can’t see them, and they won’t know where to go.
They are stepping just outside their comfort zone to be ahead of others but avoiding solutions that are completely outlandish. Accept the gravity of what already exists and orbit around it as opposed to letting go of gravity and flying off into space never to be seen again.
As ever, this report is an observation of the logo design industry and isn’t meant as a guide for best practices. Trends are trajectories that evolve and modify over time, not a passing fad. Use these ideas to expand your design acumen while pushing your own design to the next level and keep the trajectory moving to the next iteration.
What is LogoLounge?
LogoLounge is a global community of thousands of designers that share inspiration, network, and compete to earn awards.
Learn More
01 | Logo Trend
Flat Box
The essence of illusion is one of the grandest achievements in the design arsenal.
Certainly, including trompe l’oeil paintings and attempts to fool the eye of the viewer by so faithfully recreating a 3D image on a 2D surface. Logo designers over the years have conspired to entice consumers down this same path. A simple dimensional cube with three surfaces rendered in an isometric perspective with a light, a medium, and a dark tone did the trick. In this report, we see innumerable logos with a familiar dimensional box perspective but rendered in the blackest of blacks or orangiest of oranges—or any single color to hide highlights, shadows, or other dimensional clues.
The dimensional shapes, whether cube-based or extruded in form, often benefit the viewer by the application of letterforms in the appropriate facets to provide orientation or context. Toledo Museum of Art rotates the T, M, and A to easily define a shape that would be a challenge to comprehend minus the initials. To expand on this theme, several systems have animated visual assets that show cubes and boxes elongating or shapeshifting at will, to express the capabilities of the brand they represent.
02 | Logo Trend
Corner Chop
From a design perspective, triangular logos can be prickly.
Humans are born with a natural aversion to sharp objects like thorns and fangs and things that puncture us. Every designer will, at some point, present a client with a triangular solution and be surprised when the client suggests it’s pointy. Three of them in fact. So unexpectedly, this year’s crop of marks are crawling with negative triangles created by removing the same. All a bit counter to logic, but these missing corners serve a secondary purpose that supersedes fear.
Occasionally these chopped corners are removing the offensive points or easing them down. Often, they are removed to create dimension to show a receding angle of a 3D object or to help define space by serving as a triangular shadow casting across an illuminated surface. Typography has run rampant with the excising of a corner here or there to build some unique ownership to an otherwise unadorned wordmark. Because of the strong angular effect, marks with solid stroke weights are popular, and these frequently convey a rugged profile associated with manufacturing, industrial, tech, and others not afraid to make a point.
03 | Logo Trend
Elliptic
Poor ellipses, always living in or as the shadow of a circle.
It’s hard to imagine an ellipse without making the rash assumption it’s actually a circle or a cross-section of a sphere, tilted in perspective. But for all the subservient perceptions, these elliptic marks are the drivers that give us a vantage point. They create dimension and sequence. They create a spatial quality and become dynamic in a way that a perfect circle can only dream of. And when teamed up, they can help us define action or objectives, critical to telling a brand story.
Often a sequence of these reference the cross sections of an object to help us see an entity from a different point of view or to convey the idea of multiples coming together to create the whole. In the case of Deezer, a music platform, those same ellipses emulate the digital register of a sound equalizer. A series of these ellipses can also be an ideal way to show rotation or a swinging motion as the degree of the ellipse grows or diminishes. Even a single ellipse can conjure a hole, a portal, an orbital path, or anything a circle might be, but presented with some compelling flare and a sense of place.
04 | Logo Trend
Pixel Drop
Iconic 8-bit pixel art that defined a generation’s visual style has emerged from its three-decade slumber, brimming with renewed energy. During the dawn of digital design, the industry inundated the market with pixelated variations, particularly in logos, to the point where using pixel art for a tech client became frowned upon—a tired cliché and industry punchline. Perhaps time has softened these attitudes because, after all these years, pixel art is making a comeback, embraced by a new generation enthralled with low-fi aesthetics in role-playing games, indie creations, and breathtaking pixel grid artworks. Yet, as with any revival, there’s a fresh twist and a cast of new characters awaiting us.
In its current incarnation, the pixel is often a bit player as opposed to the feature. Wordmarks have found opportunities for inclusion without going full-on retro and allowing pixels to blend with traditional type characters. And though old-school marks were crafted from a grid of uniform squares, it’s not unusual to see solutions using a range of unit sizes, possibly diminishing, or expanding to tell a dynamic brand story.
05 | Logo Trend
Bell Bottoms
An overactive conversation in brand circles of late has been focused on the popularity of serif versus sans-serif fonts.
Obviously, neither are going anywhere, and there will always be a place for both, but somewhere between the two, that serif foot is going through some real gyrations. Maybe as a consolation to both camps, instead of a highly defined serif foot, designers are embracing for effect a flared leg like a newly stitched pair of bellbottoms. Thicks and thins in a variable line stroke that sweeps out to the most gradual serif that terminates in a really fat trunk. Some have that whiplash signature blended with a bit of the free spirit from a prior nouveau-delic influence.
That common belled base is varied in application for this trend. It adapted itself from overwhelming to understated, which demonstrates just how flexible a singular idea can be. A final comment here is this trend is an artifact of the revival of art nouveau influences in typography over the last several years. While the more dominant signature of that genre is the viney, curvy thicks and thins, the isolation of the flared foot separate from the whipping tendrils is likely where this jailbreak is headed.
06 | Logo Trend
Liquid Bridge
The over-easing of corners on a logo can conjure a variety of thoughts in the public’s mind, but the words "harsh" and "aggressive" will never be used in those evaluations.
Glad to issue a permission slip to let you run in the hallway with these logos. Assuredly, no one’s going to get hurt. The marks in this trend are a collection of parts that have been linked together with a viscous connecting tissue. Marshmallow? Bubble gum? Gak? My point is there are no points, but the logos tell a story of contemporary connection building. Much of this aesthetic is being driven by tools on various platforms that allow for the bridging and radiusing of elements.
This may be one of the least tightly articulated themes in this report, but the one that has the most potential to break the glass on the way we see branding. A distant idea will never be as clear, but it also does not have to fit in the mold of what others are doing. A message that bears repeating in each of these reports is: Do not take any trend and try to create something that follows it. Get ahead of these trends since that’s where tomorrow is. Look at the trajectory of these ideas and then press them out in front of you. And if it seems dark out there, it’s because you’re going to light the trail for your own followers.
07 | Logo Trend
Mix Stix
An expectation of order is incumbent on designers attempting to clarify an identity.
When a perfect circle is digitally created, it is one among billions. But when that same circle is drawn by hand, slightly askew, it begs the question: Why? When a perfect rectangle is drawn and tipped two degrees off kilter, that minute tip sticks out like the long pole in a tent. Imperfection gnaws at the sensibility of consumers. But even in chaos, there is order.
Each of the sticks in these marks are perfectly straight-line segments that if lined up in parallel harmony wouldn’t elicit a second look. But an order is found in mayhem, and the attributes of a clever bird and their mastery at feathering a home out of random twigs and flotsam are appreciated as in The Nest, or Ski Austria’s monogram A, stamped into the snow with ski impressions, or the last three of the tastiest French fries ever. The simpler the assembly left askew, the larger the conundrum. Lines could represent an awkward street corner, boundary lines, a celestial constellation, shorthand for a genetic code or chemical compound, or where tracks cross the river. Embracing the occasional chaos of nature and reality can deliver an unmistakable fingerprint of a story.
08 | Logo Trend
Smiley
In late 1963, morale plummeted at a Worcester, Mass. insurance firm after a tense merger.
Seeking a solution, the firm’s new PR head, Joy Young, approached Harvey Ball Advertising with a sketch: A simple circle with a U-shaped smile intended for buttons. Concerned that some might wear them upside down, Harvey added eyes with two dots from his marker. For a fee of $40, or twenty bucks per eye, Harvey’s work was done. A few billion smiley face buttons, shirts, stickers, and baubles later, those two immortal dots resurrect from the graphic graveyard with zeal.
To be clear, this year saw an excess of marks which were first cousins to the trope-typical happy face. More remarkable to this report was the significant number of double dots unescorted by any semblance of a smile. Designers had no compunction about sticking a pair of dots on any shape that would hold still, and in some cases, the companion shape was an afterthought or not there at all. It gives a human quality that is wide-eyed and attentive and lets the balance of the logo tell me the rest of the story.
09 | Logo Trend
Stickers
Saul, at a weight of 231 pounds, officially entered the Guinness Book of World Records a number of years ago, and at last check, the record still holds, but now it’s at 400 pounds plus.
The team at Sticker Giant started Saul the sticker ball with a handful of excess stickers several years ago, and they’ve continued to lather this enormous ball of die-cut sticky sentiments like feeding a binge-crazed champion. This industry has grown so rapidly and is so fragmented; there are very few solid annual production numbers, and the eyes of experts glaze over in attempts to offer metrics beyond speculation of “billions and billions.” Making the evolutionary jump from stickers to logos seems like a natural jump for a generation using this currency to express opinions, quips, and affinities. Some of these sport shadows or dimensional artifacts, and others merely have that exterior trim zone that we’d see on many sports mascot marks. Badge-style logos fit this trend as well, but tipping the mark randomly out of level and being a bit loose with the application assures you’ll fit in. Crafting an identity based on this premise serves to open discourse for a market already comfortable with expressing themselves without a word being spoken.
10 | Logo Trend
Center Point
There’s something about the asterisk that speaks to my heart.
It’s packed with symbolism, it’s flexible, and a quick read which makes it an ideal candidate for logo design. Unfortunately, it has become so ubiquitously utilized that it’s also vying for repeat offender citations. Mimicking a little asterisk karma but layering in its own special sauce are a series of Vs and arrows rotated around a common point. The number of elements varies in these iterations, but they all have a common goal, a focus, a core objective, and any other analogy conjured up in the design brief.
Where an asterisk can become weighty at the center with converging strokes, this solution allows the designer to open up negative space. Carving a wider channel between elements or rounding off arrow points can create a double impact of a symbol inside of a symbol. I’m especially drawn to the design for the Atrium by Bedow. By rotating the top of the letter A in Atrium They have created the square atrium central to the client’s architecture which is further enhanced by an animation on the client’s site.
11 | Logo Trend
Pointers
Picture those early arrows drawn in the caves of Lascaux, or used as a graphic device in Egyptian hieroglyphs, or the ones the Romans carved into stone to direct legions across their empire.
Now scrub all of that from your mind and be astonished to discover the first use of an arrow as a graphic symbol didn’t happen until the 18th century. Up until that time we used a pointing finger called a manicule if we wanted to graphically tell someone where to go. Fortunately, the first arrow indicating the flow of a river on a map caught on or we might be pointing out the hidden pointy hand in the FedEx logo.
But despite a two-century head start, this year there have been a torrent of arrows. Ultimately the symbol lost its fletching, the official name for those feathers on the end of it. The shaft has become critical in describing the pathway with an appropriate right turn, left turn, or even the occasional hairpin. In many of these, the designer is defining a letterform with the shaft as in the mark for Tangent, a digital user experience leader. Combining a monogram with an upward and forward arrow helps demonstrate trajectory, but if the only message we have is our growth plan, the messaging can feel a bit thin.
12 | Logo Trend
Balance Act
Balance is a fundamental design skill, and in this trend set, the marks look like a team of acrobats contorting into the most delicate arrangements.
They’re solid but teetering just enough to make anyone but a Jenga aficionado hold their breath. If these were a set of blocks there is always a keystone that will drop the tower when extracted and one other element that manages to defy gravity. The negative area on these logos carve out very angular counters with enough weight that they read equally well positive or reversed out of a field.
There’s a sturdy weight to these logos that firmly parks them in the durable stall. It’s this heft that makes them work, quashing any fears that the companies they represent are fragile. Fans of fat marks rejoice at this resurgence of strength. Take note of the blend of curvilinear and non-curvilinear geometry, like in the Webflow mark. This mix of hard and soft elements showcases a collaborative essence of grace and skill, all while defying gravity. It’s a handsome and solid solution that displays just enough vulnerability to keep it from appearing too full of itself.
13 | Logo Trend
Passages
"Passages" is the chosen name for this trend because many of the logos look like you could actually tunnel in or journey through them.
But let’s not get too philosophical here. It’s obvious that a journey isn’t always about distance. Some of these logos might symbolize a journey through time, culture, stories, music, or even a mental trip—yours or someone else’s. The diversity of these marks highlights the inventive nature of fellow designers. Each story told with these is determined by the external shape. A star, a keyhole, a letterform, or an arched doorway each set the stage for the journey.
Typically, these logos are constructed using line or solid fields of graduating color with a reductive concentric progression that signifies passage. A clue to the passage is whether an exit to the mark is evident. There is often an aperture at the distant end, but the passage may be upward bound or a twisting and turning tumble to an unknown outcome. So, the real question is: Are you coming or going through that portal, or are you just standing there, pretending to be deep?
14 | Logo Trend
Radar Sweep
Looking for the influence of any trend in this report can take you on an unexpected journey.
Studying this gradual rotation gradient that is appearing as a new way of indicating motion or change, it brings to mind the sweeping arm of a radar and the latent path that trails it on a display screen. No good submarine movie would ever leave out the sonar blip on the audio track or the drama of the arm dialing around to show an incoming torpedo. Maybe these marks are a designer’s desire to bank on that drama or maybe this is just a fresh take on introducing a nuance to gradient fields.
Dark-to-light transitions help to demonstrate a passage of time or space. They build a sense of dimension and identify a light source. They display motion while remaining static or certainly open the possibility of animation for part of a brand story. Note the importance of the hard dividing line with the spatial appearance of a wall rising up from the mark. Gradients still carry limitations, but for the client that lives primarily in a digital environment, they have become the signal of a brand not held back by the constraints of mortal design.
15 | Logo Trend
Nova Star
We are on the brink of a new era of symbolic language, scrambling to develop visual signs for communication.
Stars, chips, circuitry—these all have an immediate fringe connection to AI technology, giving them a foothold, but they still rely on legacy symbolism. A bit reminiscent of a few years prior when designers were scrambling to attach symbols to blockchain and cryptocurrency. The real challenge is finding symbols derived from the technology’s outcome. In short, the AI symbol game is still in play.
The leading contender is the four-pointed star, commonly known as a “dazzle.” This trend was first noted several years ago, even before AI became mainstream. Stars hint at a magical or mystical quality, a shorthand for, "Trust us, you wouldn’t get it if we explained.” The use of a trio of stars seems to be gaining traction both as an interface icon and in logos, but the dazzle star has yet to settle into a final form. That little four-pointed star is also a shape in flux as demonstrated by the logos included here. AI may need to wrestle to take majority ownership. Currently it’s in service with a myriad of meanings and on track to be the designer’s building block of the decade.