Creating a Logo: 5 Trends to Follow in 2021

Follow Trends, But Not Too Much

Before we start, we need to remind you of an important rule to follow when creating of your logo. As mentioned in our article on the 6 criteria of a good logo, your logo must be timeless. Therefore, it is important to get inspiration from new trends keeping in mind that you need to choose a logo that will last over time. Meaning you won't have to redo your logo every time a new trend starts. Similarly, an excellent logo will create new trends as other logo creators will be inspired by it!

A Recall of the Trends of 2019

Several trends that we talked about last year are still relevant in 2020. First, since we live in a world of web and print, it is important to have a reproducible logo, which means that it can easily be used in different formats. You need to be able to use your logo and branding anywhere, whether as an icon on social media, on your website, like Favicon, or on your business card. Why not have a black and white version for printing? Why not create variations where you have just the first letter of your company's name or a symbol? If you don't know where to start, you can take a look at our article on the 5 logo types and the one you should choose.

Otherwise, in 2019 there was talk about using vibrant colors, serif fonts, layered elements and the Memphis look created in the 80s.

4 Trends to Consider When Creating Your Logo

But what will be trending in 2020? FreeLogoDesign has been researching to find out what may be popular in the new year. Let's see what our crystal ball predicts!

The Handmade Effect

Sometimes logos seem too corporate or overworked, they lack a touch of authenticity and warmth. How can you make your logo look more friendly in the eyes of a potential customer? How do you avoid the corporate or multinational effect? You can try the handmade effect. It is a style that resembles a drawing. The imperfection, simplicity and subtlety of this kind of logo creates charm. If you don't know where to start to create a logo with a handmade effect, you can most certainly take a look at the craftsmen's logos on Etsy. Their craftsman and minimalist sides will certainly inspire you.

The Use of Geometric Shapes

Geometric shapes can also inspire you when creating your new logo. You do need to know that each shape has a meaning–a circle means community or completeness, while the triangle represents balance and power for example. You don’t have to use conventional shapes. Specifically, we suggest using geometric shapes in a minimalist way. This could be mean using only lines or shapes to create the first letter of your company's name. Avoid recreating the deathly hallows symbol in Harry Potter, as it's déjà vu. Be creative!

More liveliness with a 3D Touch

To continue with the theme of shapes, one of the trends at the moment is to add depth or shading to your logo to make it pop. Examples of this include the PayPal logo which used an overlay of the letter P, the logo of Gmail and Netflix. To do this, you can use a darker color or gray. A small 3D effect or shading will automatically make your logo more vibrant.

Shading

After using fluorescent colors, the trend is to use shading. Maybe you have seen this in the new Firefox logo. The company has been able to use a gradient of colors ranging from purple to yellow in a very harmonious way. How do you achieve your own shading then? First, even though we have explained that you should avoid using more than three colors for your logo, you can use more than three in the case of a shading if you use similar colors. You could choose different shades of green, ranging from yellow to blue or different shades of pink, ranging from purple to orange, for example. But beware, elaborate shading can become difficult to manage in a brand image. Keep it simple.

Simplicity and Minimalism

The latest trend we want to tell you about is one that has been present for a few years–simplicity. We have seen it on many occasions like logo redesigns of large companies that get rid of superfluous details on their logos. We just have to name Mastercard, Starbucks and Cirque du Soleil to give you examples of this. So, when creating your logo, be simple and minimalistic, go straight to the point. In addition to helping you with printing and creating variations of your logo, you'll be in tune with the times.

In conclusion, only time will tell what 2020 has in store for us. We hope we have managed to give you some ideas for your future logos! Be authentic, simple and use shapes and colours that will enhance your logo and brand image! The whole FreeLogoDesign team wishes you a great year filled with prosperity and creativity!