If you’re serious about branding, you’ll want to create your own logo for this next chapter. It will become the most recognizable part of your business and what customers remember, used across marketing assets like your website and business cards.
The exciting thing about making a new logo, is that design trends come and go, so you’ll have no lack of stimulating new ideas to help represent your brand in the best way. Lucky for you, we’ve put together a list of trends we think are really going to come out in 2021.
01. Hand-drawn imagery
We will see more brands using hand-drawn images. This design technique is appealing with the imperfect traits of hand-drawn. In 2021, designers and brands will embrace the chance to humanize their designs by incorporating the intimate and whimsical nature embodied by this style.
When thinking of how to design a logo for your own business, this might be the right direction – especially if you want to portray the authentic character of your brand.
02. Back to basic shapes
Although they’re the most basic building blocks of art and design, we’ve learned that shapes have the power to communicate in their own right. Think of the modern art movements of the 20th century, when artists across the globe strayed from representation, opting for lines, shapes and fields of color to convey a message.
Branding experts understand that a well-crafted logo based on a shape can deliver a succinct message to the viewer. So when it comes to 2021 logo design trends, it’s not so much a question of “will we use basic shapes again?”, but rather “how will we use geometric shapes again?”
This past year, there was a lot of hype surrounding 3D geometric shapes which helped designers shift the perspective of viewers. In 2021 logos, we’ll see a similar sentiment played out using flat design by distorting proportions, combining multiple shapes or repeating shapes in a single logo design.
03. Overlapping text
Wordmark logos are an ever-popular option in logo design, using the brand’s name instead of symbols or shapes to represent it. While wordmark logos get straight to the point, they don’t lack creative potential.
Lately, wordmarks using various fonts have been all the rage – there’s something unique about engaging with classic font styles in our modern times. We think logo designs will continue in this direction while seeing a slight reinvention in the wordmark presentation. One exciting way this will happen is by overlapping text, which gives more depth to the logo itself.
Don’t forget, designing a text-based logo means taking into consideration which font style and color accurately represents your brand identity. Should you decide to use overlapping text, consider creating a variable logo, that is, an alternative version.
04. Bringing classic symbols back to life
This presents a unique creative challenge – but it’s well worth it. First, find a symbol that communicates an idea synonymous with that of your brand. Then, figure out how to reproduce it to suit your brand.
Classic symbols will be dug out of the design archives and revived in 2021. We’ll see many businesses incorporate widely recognized symbols into their logos – using modernized versions of iconography and motifs from the old days, and repurposing mythic and religious emblems in order to amplify their brand’s message.
05. Optical Illusions
Optical illusions might be just the playful stamp we need to see from brands next year. Not to mention, it’s a clever way to get audiences to pay more attention to your logo. An optical illusion adds layers, depth and perspective. This can be fabricated in your logo using abstract or geometric shapes, or by playing around with your brand’s letters.
Just be careful not to over do it. While adding the intriguing quality of optical illusions to your logo is a great way to interest visitors, one that’s too complex or deceiving might confuse them.
06. Analogous color schemes
Technically speaking, analogous colors are the hues that sit next to each other on the color wheel. In 2021, we predict that lots of brands will start to move away from bold contrasts and neon colors towards a subtler visual theme, making use of analogous color schemes.
If you want to opt for a design like this, choose a primary brand color as your base and highlight it with its neighboring colors, muted tones or neutral hues. This can be an especially attractive effect, and is a less distracting color scheme for more daring and complex logo designs. In addition, it can give viewers a relaxing and harmonious visual experience.
07. Breaking the rules of composition
When creating a logo, most designers live by the basic rules of good composition: using a centered focal point, maintaining balance and achieving consistent visual hierarchy. But we all know that rules are made to be broken (sometimes). This couldn’t be truer for our next logo design trend to look out for in
2021, when we’ll see compositions take a sophisticated step out of the ordinary.
Breaking the rules of composition doesn’t have to mean going completely rogue. Choose one element of your logo design and let stand out. For example, if your logo is a wordmark of your business name, bring one letter out of focus by reducing its font size or by taking it outside of the composition’s imaginary grid. Implementing this quirky style will definitely make your logo stand apart in the crowd.
08. Incorporating nature imagery
Nature is a powerful reminder of renewal, and when the new year rolls around again, that’s what will be on most people’s minds. While a logo design can’t fully recreate the ambiance of the great outdoors, it can definitely represent it.
Some logo trends will be inspired by this concept in 2021, mimicking nature in a way that’s responsive and inspirational. We already see many brands revealing leafy motifs, floral imagery and earthy tones in their logos – even outside of the health, environment and sustainability sector bubble.
09. Using emojis
Emojis are great companions. The collection of over 3,300 (and growing!) characters give us an ubiquitous visual vocabulary, allowing individuals to express emotions in a clear and concise way.
In 2021, we’ll see emojis incorporated into the design world in new ways, and have no doubt they’ll be popular elements to use in logo creation. We see emojis evolving with grace, and are excited for these lighthearted pictures to work their way into logo design in the upcoming year.
