If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a logo is worth ten thousand. A successful logo tells a brand’s entire story with just a single image. Whether it’s the Golden Arches, the Olympic rings, or the Nike swoosh, logos provide instant recognition and credibility.

Web design trends are constantly changing, so whether you are looking to design a logo for the first time or to redesign one as part of rebranding, it’s important to know what’s current so that your logo makes a great first impression and works across different platforms. Here are five trends we’re noticing for 2018:

1. Gradient Color

Like the ombré trend in hair, color gradients are on the rise for logos. This can include a shift between tones of a single color, or transitions between completely different colors.  The smooth change in color gives the illusion of movement. The gradient can be applied from left to right, from top to bottom, or even diagonally. Color gradient works well for both text and icons because it adds depth and dimension to any shape. However, it’s helpful to remember that with gradients, sometimes less is more. If you are going to have more than just a web presence, remember to take into account how your logo will look in print. It’s good to have a flat version of your logo that is still effective to troubleshoot issues like this.

2. Color Overlays

Another trend involving color is overlapping two or more bright colors to create a new color. Essentially, this is a Venn Diagram that married a color wheel. If you partially overlay a blue square with a yellow square, you’ll end up with green in the overlapping space. While in some ways this trend is every bit as basic as it sounds, the use of multiple vibrant colors is eye-catching. Additionally, overlaying creates a new, shared color that brings a sense of balance to the design.

 

3. Framed Text

This straightforward approach involves a strong, legible typeface inside of what is essentially a classic text box. The text box can have a solid outline and white background, or a colored background without distinct outlining. The star of the show is the typeface itself. The simplicity of a logotype leaves no questions about the brand’s identity. This trend is particularly effective because simple geometric shapes, like a rectangular text box or straight lines used to frame the text, have a clean, straightforward look that makes these logos both sophisticated and balanced. Check out our post on choosing fonts for more ideas on creating a logotype that represents your brand.

     

 

4. Broken Lettering

A general trend we’ve seen over the past few years is brands that play around with typography, whether by mixing fonts or stacking letters in non-traditional ways. A more recent trend is splitting letters in various places to create the illusion of a broken letter. If done well, viewers will automatically fill in the empty spaces while appreciating the unique approach. Some tips for doing this successfully are to start with small breaks, to include breaks in only a few letters (or even only one), or to simply crop letters in unexpected ways.

5. Intricate Hand lettering

The art of hand lettering seems to have taken the world by storm, showing up on wooden signs, pillowcases, and baby onesies all over Pinterest. Logos are no exception to the hand lettered trend. Part of the appeal of a hand lettered look is the sense that your typeface is one-of-a-kind and has a personal touch. The addition of flourishes and other hand-drawn elements only add to the character and appeal of a hand lettered logo. This might be a good choice for brands trying to capture a “homegrown” aesthetic or to appeal to a community as a local business. One thing to keep in mind when going for this look is not to sacrifice legibility for style. At the end of the day, people will not remember a name they can’t read, so make sure you go for something elegant, but clear.

Whether you are creating a new logo or re-imagining an existing one, we hope these trends have given you some inspiration. Of course, Den Web Designs would love to work with you to make your logo dreams a reality. If there’s anything we can do to help, just let us know. We’d be happy to hear from you.