Earlier this year, we asked a panel of creative directors and marketers for their 2017 Logo trend predictions based on what they’d seen so far.
Their answers proved accurate: more geometric shapes, wordmarks, and a movement toward logo simplification and flat design (a two-dimensional style that’s all about crisp edges, minimalism, and typography).
With the year coming to a close, we look back at 12 of the most significant logo redesigns of the year — and the lessons you can take from them.
1. Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein revealed a new all-caps logo on Instagram in February, staying true to its minimalist design and skinny sans-serif font.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“I changed the original Calvin Klein lettering from upper and lower case to upper case – it became capitals. It’s evolved from the subjective to the objective, but it still looks like Calvin Klein.”
– Designer Peter Saville in Oi Polloi
Lesson: Changing your wordmark to all caps — or all lowercase letters — can drastically change the look and feel of your branding. Try different letter case options to see what feels most true to your business.
2. Tinder
With Tinder reaching near ubiquity as a dating app, the company got rid of its wordmark and introduced a new flame-only logo in August.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“The logo update follows an overhaul of the dating network’s app, which has seen the company introduce a more clean aesthetic and simplified way of displaying images and navigating from profile to profile.” – Writer Emma Tucker in Dezeen Magazine
Lesson: Icons are a big deal, especially if you’re in the app business! Choose yours wisely because it’s what will display on people’s phones and favicons (a.k.a. website icons).
3. YouTube
YouTube changed its logo for the first time in over a decade, emphasizing its iconic play button and removing the red box around the word “tube.”
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Over the years, organically, that play button, that UI element that is front and center on every video, became a brand ambassador, an unofficial shorthand.” – Christopher Bettig, head of YouTube’s art department, in The Verge
Lesson: When undergoing a logo redesign, focus on what your audience likes and knows about your brand and product. Is there a particular element that resonates with them?
4. Dropbox
Dropbox unveiled a cleaner, simpler logo — and a dramatic use of color combinations on its website — when it launched its rebrand to the world in October.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Our old logo was a blue box that implied, ‘Dropbox is a great place to store stuff.’ The new one is cleaner and simpler. And we’ve evolved it from a literal box, to a collection of surfaces to show that Dropbox is an open platform, and a place for creation.” – The Dropbox design team on its website
Lesson: You can stick to a one- or two-color logo for most uses, but don’t be afraid to play with color in other parts of your branding. Just make sure to document what colors should be used (and where) in a brand guidelines document.
5. Converse
Converse changed its logo to a more prominent icon — a nod to its history — stacked on a wordmark. The brand also introduced a cleaner font with more spacing.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“The star chevron has been in use since the ’70s, and we wanted to make it a major part of our identity—that part of the brief was clear: Let’s leverage an icon that’s part of our heritage that’s also representative of moving forward.” – Adam Cohn, VP, Brand Design at Converse in Coolhunting
Lesson: Experiment with the positioning of an icon in your logo. While many brands put it to the left of the company name (for a good reason!), stacking it on top of the name can let each design element shine.
6. Medium
Just two years after its last rebrand, Medium got rid of its green “M” and revealed a new wordmark logo with a classic look and feel.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“The new wordmark is based on Noe Display Bold. To us, it feels like the right balance between modern and traditional, with strong, angular serifs, and contrast between the thick and thin strokes.” – Maria Gonzalez, Lead Brand Designer, on Designing Medium
Lesson: Don’t be afraid to nerd out on fonts like a designer; see what styles of lettering you’re drawn to when looking at other brands.
7. Kickstarter
Kickstarter’s new logo got a shorter, bubblier font and a more mature color — a deep, dark turquoise.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Even though Kickstarter gets thrown in with other tech companies, they really are not the same. It wouldn’t have felt right to give them a sans-serif typeface next to an icon, as many tech companies have recently done.” – Hamish Smyth, Partner at Order, in Design Week
Lesson: Keep your industry in mind when designing a logo, but don’t let it dictate all your design choices. And remember: a distinctive color choice can make your brand stand out from the crowd.
8. eHarmony
Three years after its last redesign, eHarmony got rid of the “eH” capitalization in its logo and went for a more streamlined, friendly design with a colorful heart icon.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Staying true to its core, the brand name is written in a font that is warm. A dynamic heart shines above it, illustrating the insights, expertise, and experience we bring to creating compatible relationships.” – eHarmony on the company blog
Lesson: Mid-word capitalization can be confusing on multiple branding levels. Avoid it if you can, especially in your logo.
9. Audi
Audi opted for flat design, an all-black color scheme, and wordmark removal for its latest logo, providing a minimalist-inspired update to its iconic 4-ring design.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“The rings are a dynamic element in the moving image, making them an integral part of the message. The rings can be featured flexibly and can stand at the beginning, in the middle, or at the end of the communication.” – KMS TEAM on its website
Lesson: The flat design trend resonates for a reason — it’s simple, timeless, and easy on the eyes.
10. Glassdoor
Glassdoor unveiled its new look in April, with a friendlier shade of green and a “flattening” of its previously 3D door icon.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Our logo is an extension of the door concept that we have had since the beginning of the company, but pushes it into a new direction. This new direction creates a sense of symmetry, infinity and possibility.” – Moody Glasgow, Chief Marketing Officer of Glassdoor, on the company blog
Lesson: Small changes can make a big difference! With a brighter color and a symbol update, it’s easy to make your logo look current and fresh.
11. Huffington Post
The Huffington Post shortened its name and used a statement-making italic font for its new logo, resulting in one of the more dramatic redesigns of the year.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“We fell in love with the new typeface (National, for all you font nerds) because it’s strong and a little quirky. The bold italic carries the eye forward, in the same way our brand has grown and evolved over the last 12 years.” – Julia Beizer and Alison Zack on the HuffPost website
Lesson: A great logo communicates a lot in a small space. Consider shortening or stacking your name for a punchier wordmark, and try different font-and-shape combinations to make a lasting impression.
12. Mozilla
Mozilla created a new open-source typeface (“Zilla”) for its logo redesign and cleverly used “://” to represent the “ill” in its name. The company launched the new white-on-black logo with a rainbow of color variations on its website.
Before (top) and after (bottom)
“Selected to evoke the Courier font used as the original default in coding, Zilla has a journalistic feel. It bucks the current convention of sans serif fonts…The black box surrounding the logo is a key building block of the design, and echoes the way we all select type in toolbars and programs.” – Tim Murray, Creative Director of Mozilla, on the company blog
Lesson: Integrating symbols into your typeface can be tricky — but when it works, it makes a huge impact!
The post What These Logo Redesigns of 2017 Can Teach You About Branding appeared first on Logojoy.
