Staying up to date on design trends is important to keep your logo effective, impactful, and relevant. As 2019 comes to a close, we’re thinking about logo design trends of 2020. Better yet, the new year is a perfect opportunity for you to evaluate your current logo and determine whether it’s working for or against you.
These are the logo design trends we predict will make a big impact in 2020:
- Minimalism and Simplicity
- Alternate “Square” Logos
- Authenticity
- Consistency
- Thin, Refined Lines
- Colorful, Not Busy
- Little to No Text
1. Minimalism and Simplicity Will Be at the Forefront
One of the biggest emerging trends of late 2019—and what’s sure to be a 2020 logo design staple—is the shift to minimalism and simplicity.
Part of this is born out of necessity. Thanks to social media and customers using a variety of devices, businesses need a simple logo that can easily translate across platforms. Intricate, design-heavy logos don’t always work well on a smartphone, tablet, desktop computer, or a banner without tweaking it for each application. And let’s face it—no one wants to manage a dozen logos.
Check out Facebook’s latest logo, which is a blue circle with a stylized “f” inside. It’s simple, but it does everything it needs to and nothing more.
2. Alternate “Square” Logos Will Help Brands Streamline Across Platforms
Another logo design trend for 2020 we’re predicting is the use of alternate logos for those times when the main logo doesn’t quite do the trick.
Brands and companies have been creating logos for different applications for years, but it’s a never-ending and monotonous practice. As time goes on, it’s difficult to manage various logos, especially if you don’t have the resources.
There will always be a new screen that you’ll need to optimize your logo for. Over time, these changes can leave you with a collection of logos that have little to do with each other and may not represent your brand well. This is why many brands have started consolidating their logos into two simple, easily digestible logos that are versatile enough to fit just about anything, from business cards to email to 40-foot banners.
Google’s newest “G” logo is the perfect example of this. It’s a simple yet fun take on the more intricate and complicated “Google” logo that dominates their search engine.
3. Authenticity Will Still Be One of the Most Important Factors
One of the most important logo design trends for 2020 is authenticity.
While authenticity goes beyond a logo, a well-designed logo can communicate a lot about your brand’s values. A logo that includes some sort of brand statement (and not necessarily in words) can encourage others to stand with you even if they’ve only been exposed to your logo.
Well-designed logos can become synonymous with a company’s message. This is something that can help you reach others and inspire them to work with you, help your cause, and so on.
WWF’s simple panda logo conveys its brand and message without muddying the impact of the logo itself.
4. Consistency is (Still) Key
Sometimes, it’s better to stick with the logo you have than to reinvent the wheel. If you have an iconic logo that’s synonymous with your brand, a redesign could alienate or confuse your customers.
Some modern tech companies are guilty of redesigning their logo nearly every year. Even if the tweaks are subtle, it can ultimately alter the logo that everyone loves and recognizes. What’s worse, if a logo undergoes a huge change, like Uber’s pod logo from 2016, people may not recognize the new you.
Uber in 2016 vs. the Uber we all recognize:
Coca-Cola is a brand that knows not to mess with a good thing. We’re all familiar with Coke’s ubiquitous and stylized logo, which is still much like the original logo introduced by the company in 1887:
5. Luxury Brands Will Use Thin, Refined Lines to Convey Elegance
When it comes to luxury brands, a logo design trend in 2020 we’ll be seeing more of is thin, refined lines to convey elegance.
In years past, most luxury logos used filigree and various ornamentations to convey their attention to detail and elite status. But baroque is out, and so are logos with excess shapes, lines, and other elements. Instead, luxury brands are turning to simplicity. Using thin, refined lines and a mixture of serif and san-serif fonts, the design conveys the brand’s message without over complicating things.
Louis Vuitton’s simple “LV” logo is the perfect example of a modern and elegant take on luxury.
6. Logo Design Will Be Colorful, Not Busy
While logo trends for 2020 will sway towards minimal, simplistic design, that doesn’t mean they’ll be boring. In 2020, we’ll see plenty of color, but it will be thoughtfully used and not busy.
It’s as simple as adding a splash of color, and it goes a long way towards livening up your brand, even if the overall logo is still corporate and structured.
Microsoft’s four-window logo has a dash of color and playfulness that would be sorely missed with the grey lettering.
7. Logos Will Have Little to No Text
Sometimes a logo doesn’t need to say anything to say a lot, and logo design trends heading into 2020 are sure to make this a hot item for years to come. While this trend may be the wrong thing for a developing brand trying to build a reputation, brands with lots of exposure can cut out the busyness by reducing their logo to only the essentials.
The beauty of this approach is that it’s far easier to scale a logo up and down for various uses if you don’t have to worry about your text becoming illegible on a business card or small flyer. And because no-text logos typically had words attached at one point, the words are almost implied, and you can even drop or add the words depending on the application.
Starbucks’ current logo eschews all the ornate, surrounding text for something more iconic and recognizable.
Revamp Your Logo in Time for 2020 With FreeLogoServices
With 2020 almost here, be on the lookout for these logo design trends. That also means there’s no better time to assess your logo and see where it stacks up.
If it’s time for a revamp, our free logo maker is all you need to create a professional, adaptable logo, even if you have no idea how to design a logo in the first place. Try FreeLogoServices for yourself and see how we can help you quickly design the perfect logo with our library of modern and trendy logo designs.
