While there are plenty of design trends to look out for and apply in 2020, there are also many to avoid. Logo design is a booming business with new fads every other week.
Due to the high number of blogs and articles telling you what to do and what not to do, this can be problematic.
Using design trends should not be that big of an issue, but when it comes to logos, trends should generally be avoided.
11 Anti-Trends of Design in 2020
Here are some common anti-trends in 2020 that should definitely be avoided in the logo design process:
1# Too Unique
The entire point of a logo for your brand is to have a unique piece of imagery to present yourself to customers. This will help your target audience identify you and your business easily. However, with there being numerous designers and the same trends this can be hard to do.
If your logo looks like everyone else’s then there is no way your brand can be noticed. Your logo has to be fresh and unique without being too hard on the eyes.
What 2020 has seen so far is people attempting to be too unique. This may help their brand stand out, but a bad color palette and just shocking designs won’t help your business.
2# Gradients
Using design trends can further disrupt the idea of your logo by making it blend in with everyone else’s logo.
Gradients have been a way to combat this. They now seem to be everywhere because they look nice and work well in a standard design.
However, they shouldn’t be overused, and if your logo is relying only gradients then you’ve messed it up. Even if stripped to black and white, your logo should be identifiable.
3# Bright Coloring
Bright colors will attract customers’ attention. They can let brands stand out from a crowd of other businesses and help convey their ideas.
Colors also aid in highlighting certain parts of visual information to make it more apparent. Despite this, bright colors can be uncomfortable to look at. Human eyes are not used to artificially created and enhanced colors.
Natural colors are most constant and pleasing and do not have a tendency to make customers uncomfortable. So while bright colors can be used to change up your logo, they can also disrupt the growth of your business by driving people away.
4# Lines
Thin lines do look aesthetically pleasing because they’re simple, clean, and eyes. They can become problematic when if your design needs to shrink down in size.
Logos should be able to scale down, be legible and thin lines prevent this. Overusing lines can make your design look generic, so it’s better to avoid them.
5# Bold Typography
Typography is a necessity to incorporate into any graphic design. Since it is an indispensable factor to make a good logo it cannot be eradicated. It has reportedly improved readability, optimized texts and images, shown creativity etc.
In 2019 there has been quite a lot of bold typography on logos as it has become another trend. This was thought to be a perfect way to communicate a business’s message to make a good impression on customers.
However, overusing of turning plain text into ridiculous bold statements has not been a favorite trend. Unless your business is visually driven bold text is not a very favorable choice. Bold texts are more palpable than ever but the need is slowly dwindling.
6# Variants
The idea of variants isn’t a terrible one. The arc is a positive notion of progress, movement and competitiveness. While the symbol is pleasing it is also greatly overused. Adding to this, it is used in the same exact way with every design you see.
The unique identity of a logo is completely butchered and there is no semblance of any creative thought.
7# Chat Bubbles
The chat bubble is an interesting new phenomenon in the world of design. Social media took over the internet entirely and so this trend has become more mainstream than it was a decade ago.
But with its childish and simplistic nature it takes away from what could make a logo stand out to potential customers.
8# Asymmetry
Designers use this asymmetric tactic to break the rules of order and entice the viewer. While this may be effective at the moment of creation, it does not lead to any groundbreaking marketing solutions.
Treading the waters of asymmetry leads to different design elements overlapping and becoming unaligned.
This ill-balance will no longer entice the potential customer and instead will drive them towards something less crooked and well designed. It demands attention at an initial stage but then becomes annoying to look at.
9# Layering Texts
Another new fad was to layer one text over the other, especially while using letters like “L”. It is such a basic yet innovative idea that could spice up a logo and yet it is never advised.
The idea is to resist this temptation because it’s completely generic and unprofessional. Any designer could come up with something amazing without layering texts.
10# Minimalism
Minimalism has always favored functional elements in the designing process. If you’re disregarding non-functionality entirely then you have a minimalist logo design.
There are cons to this, the main one being not being able to find the right color. If the incorporation of the color palette is off then your minimalist design won’t be popular or interesting to look at.
The use of color should be deliberate and precise and not everyone has to skill to do that. Purposes of all blacks, greys, and whites should be understood and their dilution should be kept in mind.
Furthermore, if you don’t have much negative space to build your minimalism on then the idea is redundant from the start.
11# Subtle Animation
The idea that your design needs to be animated in 2020 is a ludicrous one. Fantastic. The only times such addition is necessary are in creative videos, promotional skits, and in some cases on your website. While animation can give your logo a certain versatility, it is being used more for the sake of being trendy.
Read More:
- 8 Easy Tips for More Effective Small Business Website Design
- Why it is Important to Streamline UX with Anticipatory Design?
- 10 Free Online Graphic Design Software
Author Bio: Sarah works as a creative content writer for Logonado Australia. She likes to write about logo design, SEO, business trends and law. In her free time she enjoys partaking in activism, reading a good book and visiting new coffee shops
