Introduction
A simple text, iconic image, sometimes with an animated character, or an abstract design may seem something not too important when these elements hold all the power of becoming extremely impactful if used correctly and in the right manner.
All the above-mentioned design elements are used in creating any business’s brand image, and identity by which it is known to the world. Logos have been around us since a long time ago. Before mass production began all around the world, people use to label their cattle with their logo to keep them distinctive from others. In this article, we will discuss the symbolic changes that were seen throughout the years of the ’90s till date, in the logo design industry.
Looking back at the history of logo design
From being on cattle farms to billboards, and on all marketing platforms, the logo designing industry has been evolving drastically with time. The fashion trends of a specific era had some sort of impact on logo designing as well. The decade of the ’80s was dominated by funky colors, big hairs, and retro vibes. Everything was flashy and prominent in the ’80s. which had its impact on the people and their choices, and preferences as well.
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Entering the majestic 90’s
When the world entered the 90’s, a new wave of fashion trends followed. Hip-hop fashion became popular. The hip-hop culture also influenced many logo designing companies.
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Late 90’s
In the late ’90s, the era of the digital world grew on a big scale. Every home had Televisions that were being consumed more than ever. it was high time for the designers and brands to come up with something catchy and attractive as a logo. Since television, billboards, and print media were the main platforms for promoting brands, the logos needed to be more expressive and bright. And keeping that in mind, the designers used animation for logos, blew them up in size, crumbled, made edgy and alternative designs, and did all sorts of manipulations with designing tools and elements.
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The era of the internet
The early days of the internet were flashy. The thirst to use all the elements in a single logo was high. This made the designers move towards another style of design known as skeuomorphism. Elements like color gradients, faux wood design, metallic textures, and drop shadows are used to give a 3d effect to a logo, making them have a depth effect.
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The 2000’s
The 00 comes with a bit of a change in almost everything. The world of Professional logo design took a shift from being bright, edgy, and flashy towards being rounded letters, ubiquitous and gradient. These changes were more visible in the wordmark logos of that time. With time, when the world got used to seeing gradients and extra designing elements, they became mundane and slowly faded out.
The beginning of flat designs
lets’s reminisce the highlights of the time when flat design became popular in this designing world.
- Flat designs took over every industry with quite a flash.
- Flat design logos fall under the category of minimalism in the field of designing.
- At first, the point of dropping off all stylish characteristics and elements like gradients, shadows, and depth effect seemed like a step towards backward. But it was the need of time.
- The example of Google’s logo is here to explain.
Although flat designing not just ruled for logos, but in more recent years, it also worked well for UI designing in several application developments as well. For logo designing, the flat designs are on their way out.
Endnote
For anyone looking for a logo design, it’s better to check on the trends that are relevant to the current era.