8 innovative logo design trends and styles for 2019 - SmartBrief

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8 innovative logo design trends and styles for 2019

The best logos are timeless - but incorporating some design trends can make a brand stand out in a crowded marketing space.

6 min read

Marketing Strategy

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A logo is the visual centerpiece of a company’s brand identity.

A well-designed logo will help boost awareness and can improve marketing and a brand’s bottom line.

A poorly designed logo, or one that has outgrown a brand, can tarnish it.

When you set aside design trends and styles, at its core, a logo must:

  1. Embody the brand.
  2. Be instantly recognizable.
  3. Be versatile.
  4. Be timeless.

Everything else is optional.

Simplistic letter play, “swooshy” people, pixelated designs and bright colors were popular logo design trends in 2018.

Whether a brand wants a logo design for a new business or is considering a rebrand, a custom logo design in 2019 should feel fresh and relevant for a long time, and not dated a year from now.

Here are eight innovative logo design trends and styles that will happen  in 2019.

1. Responsive design logos

Whether you print your logo on marketing brochures, outdoor billboards, product packaging, on your website, on a business card or as an icon on a smartphone, you want your logo to be flexible and usable in different situations.

This is called responsive design.

Here’s a site that lets you play with famous logos and see how they respond to different screen sizes.

How does your company’s logo change based on screen or display size?

2. Perspective-play logos

Playing with perspective is a great way to challenge the norms of traditional logo design.

Distortion, fragmentation, warping and visual breaks are all interesting ways to break the mold in an engaging way.

 

You can even overemphasize certain elements to highlight specific qualities of your logo in an unexpected way.

One way to be sure this style works for you is to ask your graphic designer to show you some mock-ups with your logo on items.

Many graphic designers are now providing mocked-up visuals of their logo designs on a t-shirt, business cards, business brochures, stationery, web design, infographic or wall signage in addition to their beautifully rendered design.

3. Bright colors

Colors — especially bright colors — continue to take center stage when it comes to modern logo trends and we expect this will continue throughout 2019.

That’s because color has a deep impact on how people see the world and is often used to influence people’s decisions.

Want to learn more about the importance of color in logo design? We recommend you read:

4. Simple typography

Simple design is hardly a new trend.

With clean lines and memorable presentation, it’s easy to understand the draw of simple logo design.

Simplifying an existing logo is an easy way for businesses to build on their foundations – ironically, by stripping them down to their visual cores.

We’ve seen brands like Uber undergo redesigns recently, whether to strip down overly ornamental logos or to move away from tarnished reputations.

Whatever the reason, simple typography can give your existing logo a contemporary, modern facelift or create a contemporary new brand.

5. Playful designs

Playful visuals that offer unexpected, clever designs can have a major impact on customers.

 

In 2019, you can expect to see designers playing with metaphors, puns and innovative concepts in their logo designs.

These logos make everyone take a second look at a product and add a fun element into a business’ persona.

6. Detailed vintage

Brands that want to create an aura of vintage sophistication and authenticity will use intricate, detailed illustrations in 2019 to represent their artisan, handcrafted, top-shelf products.

The food and beverage industries are especially drawn to the lux, detailed design work trend, and for good reason.

Wine, spirits and other artisan treats all naturally fit this logo trend.

Any natural, organic, house-made products and businesses can benefit greatly from a super detailed, vintage influenced logo.

7. Cut typography

Typography plays a huge role in logo design.

The font you choose has a powerful impact on how your brand, and your company, is perceived.

In 2018 we saw companies invest time and money to create custom fonts for their brands: Netflix debuted Netflix Sans, Uber got their Move on and Airbnb poured themselves a bowl full of Cereal.

We’ll continue to see this trend grown in 2019 as companies reject available fonts and create their own.

For companies that don’t have the budget (or interest) to create their own custom typeface, another type-based trend is gaining popularity.

Called “Cut”, this trend sees brands taking type and literally cutting part of it away, leaving behind something new.

The venerable news site Slate used this to great effect with their major rebrand.

It’s a simple but effective technique that reshapes how type is used in logo and brand design.

If you want a look that’s straightforward but with flair, think about what you can cut. You might find that less really is more.

But be sure that your company name is readable once you cut the font. After all, you can’t create awareness and loyalty with your brand identity if people don’t know the name of your business.

8. Geometric shapes

Logos are, at their cores, symbols.

Geometric shapes can work as powerful, memorable symbols.

With bright color choices and invitingly arranged shapes, the geometry trend is both minimalist and friendly.

Are you ready to embrace logo design trends and styles in 2019?

Logo design trends and logo design styles can offer a great way to breathe fresh life into your brand.

However, as with anything, it’s important to exercise caution.

You don’t want to carelessly update your brand for the sake of trendiness and wind up with a logo that doesn’t resonate with your business or market.

When you’re looking through 2019’s logo design trends, make sure that trend represents your brand thoughtfully, and can be integrated into the rest of your existing branding.

To see a full list of logo design trends for 2019, read Logo Design Trends 2019: Your Ultimate Guide to Navigate The Biggest and Hottest Trends.

Amanda Bowman works in customer service at crowdspring, one of the world’s leading marketplaces for crowdsourced logo design, web design, graphic design, product design and company-naming services. 

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