A logo is the visual centerpiece of a company's brand identity.
As we explained in The Small Business Guide to Creating a Perfect Logo:
At its most basic, a logo is a small, symbolic piece of artwork that represents a business. But, we’ve dug a bit deeper than that. When you set aside all the design trends and fancy fonts, at its core, a logo must:
1- Embody your brand.
2- Be instantly recognizable.
3- Be versatile.
4- Be timeless.
Everything else is optional.
In fact, I’ll go one step further. Every design choice in your logo should exist only to serve and strengthen the four items listed above. And, if you meet these four requirements, many other commonly cited logo must-haves, like simplicity and memorability, naturally follow.
A well-designed logo will help boost awareness and can improve your marketing and bottom line.
A poorly designed logo, or one that has outgrown your brand, can tarnish your brand.
Social media optimized logos, simplistic letter play, swooshy people, pixelated designs, and bright colors were popular logo design trends in 2018.
Whether you're looking for a logo design for a new business or considering a rebrand, your modern logo design should feel fresh and relevant for a long time, and not dated a year from now.
Here are 5 modern logo design trends and styles we’ll see in 2019.
>> 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.
- Playful designs
Playful visuals that offer unexpected, clever designs can have a major impact on customers.
Logo design by kayagraphics/crowdspring
Logo design by surip/crowdspring
Logo design by newziner/crowdspring
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.
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, etc.
- Detailed vintage
Sleek, minimal designs have had a strong grip on trending logo designs in recent years.
It might seem surprising, then, that 2019 will bring exceptionally detailed, beautifully crafted logo designs.
Brands that want to create an aura of vintage sophistication and authenticity are looking toward intricate, detailed illustrations to represent their artisan, handcrafted, top-shelf products.
Having a detailed looking logo conveys the craftwork evident in a marketplace focused on offering similarly detailed products.
Logo design by Seaside/crowdspring
Logo design by miamiman/crowdspring
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.
These works of art are sure to be appearing on our screens and lining wine racks in 2019.
- Monochrome hipster
Crossing arrows, handwritten typefaces, and richly detailed design work all define the visual
makeup of a hipster logo.
These logos are largely monochrome, choosing to focus on lines and typefaces rather than bold color choices to make an impact.
The vibe-heavy logos lean in on individuality, culture, diverse backgrounds, and any element that contributes to a carefully constructed impression of authenticity.
Logo design by estefano/crowdspring
Logo design by third/crowdspring
Logo design by Ana_Osijek/crowdspring
Hipsters still hold heavy influence on logo trends, and in 2019, you can expect to see this continue.
- 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, as we've discussed before:
Typography is an effective way to convey more than just the words involved in written communication. It showcases personality by visually representing the tenor and tone of what it is you’re talking about. You may find that your purpose is best met by using a font with a vibrant personality throughout your website or using an amalgamation of sans and serif typefaces.
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.
Logo design by subur/crowdspring
Logo design by Bingo/crowdspring
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.
- Gradients
Gradient design has become a top modern logo design trend in the last few years. Even Firefox got on board with their latest logo update.
Instagram kicked off the gradient frenzy when they updated their logo two years ago and adopted the simple, but striking, trend.
While initially derided, Instagram's update wound up prompting an onslaught of gradient-using designs - from web design, to print design, and in 2019, logo design.
Logo design by artStudioDesign/crowdspring
Colorful, attractive, and striking, gradient logos use color in a way that appeals to, well, everyone.
Just remember to select complementary colors that can bleed into each other seamlessly. Don't choose colors randomly.
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 life into your new or existing brand.
But be sure that you don’t 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 designing or redesigning your company’s logo for 2019, make sure the logo represents your brand thoughtfully, and can be integrated into the rest of your existing branding.