Logo Design Trends Come and Go – It’s an Oxymoron



As a logo designer, there are plenty of subjects that I feel passionate about, and logo design trends is one of them.

In my previous blog articles on logo design costs, logo design galleries, and the connection to logo design trends.

There is a big shift towards relying on trends as the answer to your next logo design. There are some articles, and on logo design trends over at Logolounge.

Many years ago…

Many years ago, when Twitter was in its infancy, circa 2009, there was a lovely lady called Angie. Anywho, she tweeted an innocent message about logo trends, to which I answered back:

following logo 'trends' typically goes against the point of creating a timeless logo. Trends come and go, the two don't fit.

As Angie correctly pointed out in her now defunct blog post: a logo design trend is somewhat of an oxymoron.

If you focus on a trend, then you are at risk of creating a logo that is not lasting. The ultimate quest for a logo designer, in most cases, is to create a timeless logo, at the most and least, a logo that is fit for purpose.

The risk is when younger, less experienced, and more impressionable designers, fall prey to the very hot subject and media coverage of logo design trends.

It’s almost an excuse for designers to abandon the real art of creating original and lasting identities, because in comparison, they are not nearly as cool looking?

Keeping up with trends is great for the purposes of padding out the portfolio, and submitting to all the logo inspiration galleries. It’s also great to keep you on your toes and to play around with your imagination.

I don’t have anything against trends per sai, my worry is that it’s becoming too much of a big thing. Too much focus on trends, rather than what your client actually needs for a lasting identity.

Your client is paying you to create a logo that has their best interests at heart; not to full fill and appease your own ego; to fill out your portfolio with cool logo designs, and keeping up with your piers.

Trends are great for the website only logos, the web app, the website header.

What I am really focusing on here is the ‘real deal brand identity’ for the well paying serious client.

They are not paying you just so you can create a trendy cool logo for  your own portfolio.

Are we designing a logo for our own sense of self or for them? Maybe a fine line between having the cake and eating it.

Keep this in mind

I keep saying it, and I think it’s worth repeating: Trends come and go. Logo designs ideally need to be lasting past the next trend.

The important thing here is for us to all have the confidence to see trends for what they really are. We are each capable of designing ‘out of the box’; ignoring trends when the latest trend actually goes against the brief from the client.

Disobeying the latest trend will not mean you get punished. Disobeying the clients brief, so you can follow the latest logo trend, may be punishable with something called ‘reputation failure’.

Your responsibility is to the client; not your piers, or the latest trend.

Trends do need to be observed, but not always fully relied on.

Don’t become a trend lemming.