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Which logo designs will rule the roost in 2016?

Logos are the faces of companies and brands. They are the symbols through which consumers view brands and think about them. On reading the words ‘NIKE’ and ‘APPLE’ most people visualise a tick mark and an apple! This is the kind of lasting image that logos can have on your audience. A bad logo might not break your brand but a good logo can surely elevate it to the next level.

The design world is ever evolving, feeding from itself to create the next ‘In thing’ and then bringing back old themes as ‘retro designs’. A presentation will last for a few hours, advertising campaigns will last for a few months, but logos are created with a long term perspective, intended to last for the lifetime of the company. Over the course of time, a logo will eventually become synonymous with a company and changing it will be akin to changing the name of the company itself. However, a logo does need to fit in with the brand it represents as well as have a relevant look to itself. So, what’s happening to logo design in 2016?

The way in which business logos are designed is changing exponentially. The “rules” that worked before the turn of the century no longer count today. In fact, what has held true for the last five years no longer has the same authority. The art and science of logo design is changing as fast as the “opportunity to engage consumers” grows.  And again, this “opportunity,” is changing as fast as technology develops.

However, it is possible to see that certain approaches towards creating logos are becoming accepted and are becoming trends. So what will logo design be like in coming months, or in the near future? Here are some design trends that are forecast to be strong in 2016.

Logo Trend 1: Flat

Flat design has been a trending logo design technique for years. It’s still here and we’re sure to see more of the same in the year ahead. With a balance between aesthetics and usability, it’s no wonder why flat designs have been ruling hearts for years. Flat designs will continue to dominate and not because they look clean and forthright, but because they register well in any browsing device, especially due to SVG. They load a lot faster too. Patterns, textures, shadows, gradients will give way to simpler lines and colours. These register better in print or online, in black, grey or colour, and on any browsing device. Companies will lessen or simplify their design elements making them easily identifiable.

Logo Trend 2: Calligraphy and Hand Lettering

Handmade logos speak of honesty. They help the brand convey an effort to be intimate or personal and will surely be used by brands who want to get closer to their audience. This trend has been slowly gaining ground for several years now. Calligraphy also adds a touch of elegance to logos and brands will seek out skilled calligraphists even more in 2016 for logos, marketing materials and invites.

Logo Trend 3: Negative Space

Negative space will continue to amaze. A design is something you see first, but then it speaks to you and you understand what it is saying. That is what makes a design work. If it is able to convey more than this, and the consumer is able to pick up on a deeper message, it becomes much more special. This is why negative space will continue to lure many to explore its strengths. The ability to communicate more to the consumer without adding extra elements is a challenge to a designer. To the public, it’s a welcome visual egg hunt. A well designed negative space logo will make your brand unique and will help you create that killer first impression with your clients and customers.

Logo Trend 4: Kinetic Logos

Dynamic logos, kinetic logos or logos that change-but-remain-the-same will find greater appeal. These are logos that are adaptable and changeable as per context, yet they contain the same core design with other elements being interchangeable. The best way to describe Kinetic Logos would be the Google Doodles! This style of logo design is what we feel is going to be the future of Logo Design.

This growing trend both fascinates the consumer and answers the need to present something fresh on a regular basis. This type of logo has the ability to make consumers unconsciously aware of the direction and diversification the company and brand is pursuing in real-time. The danger lies when the “kinetic” change does not “rhyme” with the core values the company has effectively communicated and has established for itself.

Here’s a great video from Vox as Michael Bierut (designer of the Hillary Clinton logo) talks about Kinetic logos and how a simple mark ends up becoming something very big.

Fun Fact: The Devanagari “ब” used in the BananaBandy logo is also kinetic, we use different colour variations of the logo next to the different parts of our website!

Source: Justcreative