Minimalist logos. Primitivism as a fashion trend

Why minimalism in logos is so popular © Crowdspring

The trend in the world of graphic design has long been to minimize emblems, logos, and other symbols used for identification. Fanciful logos to match the medieval royal coat of arms, replete with elements, are becoming a thing of the past, giving way to strict and concise symbols. This trend is emerging in many areas, sometimes even emblems with a rich history are being replaced.

A striking and remarkable example of logo simplification is the Italian football club Juventus from Turin. In 2017, he replaced the coat of arms, whose roots go back to late XIX century, on a simple symbol in the form of a stylized letter J with the name of the club. Not all fans liked such innovations, but no one was going to return the old logo.

The example of Juventus is not unique. The Spanish "Barcelona" recently also changed the logo to a flatter one, at the same time unloading it a bit. The same goes for the English FC West Ham. The MasterCard payment system, Microsoft in its Windows operating system, and the Taco Bell catering chain did the same. You can list examples from various industries for a long time, but the main thing is why do they all do this?

Background and start

The trend towards simplification of logos is rooted in the years of rapid development computer technology at the end of the 20th century. In the "analogue" era, the complexity of the emblem or coat of arms did not really matter. The production of printing forms used to replicate branded products was a relatively inexpensive task. In the future, it made it possible to obtain thousands and millions of logo prints, replete with small details and colors.

With the transition to the digital age and the rapid development of Internet technologies, the situation has changed. Designers were faced with the task of making logos that would be not only beautiful and informative, but also suitable for normal display on computer screens with low resolution and color depth.

Loaded with small details and made in a rich palette, emblems lost their attractiveness in such conditions, which is unprofitable from a marketing point of view. Minimalism has become a lifeline, making it possible for the logo to look the same on an advertising poster, on product packaging, and on a computer screen. Thus was laid the first stone of the road to simplification.

Modern causes

Later when computer graphics reached new heights, simple and light logos were no longer a necessity, but the trend continued. Now the reason for this movement was not technical limitations, but other motives. One of them is the desire for recognition. No matter how paradoxical it may sound, a logo with fewer details allows you to create a more unique brand image.

Small details that overload the emblem make it more unique from a technical point of view, but not from a psychological one. A person who sees a heavy logo is unlikely to remember it from the first fleeting glance (for example, seeing billboard from the car window). In order for the eyes and consciousness to “hook” on such, it must contain something defiant, and this is not always possible for moral and ethical reasons, and also not always appropriate.

For example, a naked woman as the central element of the logo is defiant, and even if the symbolism is loaded with details, like that coat of arms of Great Britain, the logo will be remembered. But who will allow a naked woman to be painted on a three-meter billboard in the city center, and what relation can she have, for example, to a chain of restaurants, consulting company or industrial enterprise? And without daring elements, all these small details, as on that large coat of arms of Great Britain, will not settle in the memory of a casual observer.

A laconic logo containing a minimum of details, on the contrary, is easy to remember. Looking at the coat of arms of Juventus, you will remember it and not confuse it with another, precisely because of its simplicity. Our brain is much better adapted to this (the Chinese keep thousands of hieroglyphs in memory) than to accurately memorize images overloaded with details and colors. And memorability is the recognition that promotes the brand.

Another reason to simplify coats of arms and logos is globalization. Big business wants to expand the scope of its presence, recruiting a client audience in regions whose population is very diverse. Therefore, the symbolism of the company should be easily perceived and remembered for a person of any culture and language.

Looking at the Paris Saint-Germain logo, you will immediately see the silhouette of the Eiffel Tower, and you will guess that this brand is related to Paris, even if you do not know Latin at all.

And what can the coat of arms of Manchester City tell about? Yes, a sailboat is a historical element, but personally for me it gives rise to associations with some kind of shipping company or other maritime organization. Although this is much better than the old eagle.

Finally, the last reason designers love minimalism is the possibility of further simplifying the symbolism. Imagine that the logo of the same Juventus is displayed in the notification bar of your smartphone (next to the clock and the network indicator). There it will look almost the same as in full size. Now try to imagine how the old coat of arms of Manchester City would look like in a similar form. And it would look not like a neat monogram, but like an incomprehensible squiggle.

Considering that the use of simplified versions of emblems is now often required, it is important to build in them the possibility of simplification already at the development stage. Therefore, the "heavy" symbolism completely loses to the "light" one in all the above criteria.

Those "unforgettable" times, when the degree of "pretentiousness" of the logo was a kind of guarantee of its success, have sunk into oblivion. Today we can observe with surprise how quite good money is received by those who are trying to “become like” Kazimir Malevich not in a figurative sense, but in the most direct sense.

The legendary Suprematist used “black squares”, which are still an example of true art. And the studio of Artemy Lebedev is famous for the fact that for a good fee they took and developed ... a blue rhombus.

Branding development or regression?

Logos, pleasing with elaborate ingenuity, over which the best minds of design ideas worked tirelessly for days, are less and less. Minimalism is one of the key trends in modern branding, faced with which, the customer may exclaim: "The contractor has screwed up!". Or, alternatively, you might think that an automatic logo designer was used during creation.

Such a reaction is natural, because today the audience is in the so-called “phase of acceptance of the minimalist trend”, devoid of the usual bulge and palette of various shades.

What do designers say?

From many design luminaries today you can hear the phrase that, they say, all these "bells and whistles" are hopelessly outdated. Countless “bells and whistles” in the logo are the mournful lot of those who think primitively and are ready to pay “for the picture”, and not for the “product”.

Follow the evolution of the most famous brand in the world - Apple. The dynamics of development or the "paradigm of regression" brought to our attention? Everyone will have their own answer.

But the nature of the apple "logo evolution" is easy to trace. From a pretentious picture illustrating a “window on the world” to a bitten fruit known to us, which has lost the bulge and volume of past years.

Modern "flat" design conquers spaces!

While the customer is in an attempt to comprehend the “truth”, trying to realize that the visual embodiment is “deeply secondary”, and the idea and mechanics of the logo as a product are “deeply primary”, objective reality tells us that the trend towards simplification has existed for at least 65 years .

Well, who among us has not been to IKEA? If you are a long-liver and went there in 1951, you could see such an artsy picture.

And now? The modern logo was made not yesterday, but 35 years ago. But it is concise, like breakfast on Ural Airlines.

Extra designations, word forms, images in the logo are becoming a thing of the past.

Here is the legendary "Adidas" yesterday and today:

What are the key trends of the minimalist "trend"?

• one font, maximum a couple but not three
• no compound pictures resembling knightly coats of arms
• underlined versatility: the picture looks equally successful on T-shirts and airplanes
• in the past - relief, in the present - a plane
• minimum details, maximum simplicity
• decorativeness is an excess, functionality rules!

And what will happen tomorrow?

It has long been no secret to anyone that in the coming Blockchain Era, automation, which is already replacing sellers vending machines, will move designers, replacing them with logo designers.

And indeed. If the trend is not at all artistic delights, but “a product created at the intersection of functionality and pragmatism”, then why not try to abandon the work of a designer and try what an online logo generator is?

The fear of running into a "ultimately soulless" product deters a potential user who needs " handmade". Well!

You are welcome! Ours was created by professional designers without the use of public databases of “logo-slag”.

For a symbolic sum, you can get a logo right now and enter the market with your head held high tomorrow - sorry! - logo.

Today I want to give you examples of minimalism in creativity. In our motley time, it is already becoming rare when the essence is conveyed with just a few precise strokes. To do this, the designer must go a long way of research, read many books and draw countless logos. Minimalism combined with a good creative idea is real craftsmanship.

Here are 10 clear examples, which can serve as an example for novice designers.

1. Missing company logo. Made by Admix Designs agency.

The name of the company Missing means "lost". Missing two 'i's
directly reflects the meaning of the word. Minimalistic approach, but very accurate rendering
meaning. Great creativity.

2. Walk company logo. Made by Optimodo agency.

The company name Walk means "walk" or "walk". Letter "a",
made in the form of two walking legs seems simple and lying on the surface,
however, behind the seeming simplicity lies a powerful creativity and subtle design
an idea that gives us a feeling of lightness of walking when looking at this logo.
Fine.

3. Folder company logo. Made by Rokac agency.

The company name Folder means "folder". This ultra-minimalist
a logo reminiscent of a bureau with folders once again reminds all designers
the world of how little paint (and how many brains) is needed to create a unique
a creative logo with just two dots placed in the right places.

4. Unarmed company logo. Made by Admix Designs agency.

The company name Unarmed means "unarmed". But if translated literally,
that word means "armless", which is what was used in the logo. It's complicated
explain in Russian, but one can imagine that on the logo of the Golden
keys" it is not necessary to draw fountains of water, you can think about something else
the meaning of the word "key" and try to present it more creatively than usual.

5. Bipolar company logo. Made by Siah Design.

The company name Bipolar is translated obviously - "bipolar". Or
"diversified". A successful game with a sad and cheerful smiley makes this
a minimalist logo is an interesting example of creativity. Everything is possible
look from both sides, that is, bipolar. Q.E.D.

6. Height company logo. Made by Strizhart agency.

The company name Height means "height". Playing negative and positive in this
black and white logo once again proves how highly creative
minimalism. Two recognizable arrows that we so often see in combination with
the words "up" and "down" make this logo uniquely recognizable and
memorable at first sight. Five points.

7. Pelican logo. Made by ru_ferret agency.

The logo of the company "Pelican" also very successfully uses the game of positive and
negative in combination with modern text and playing with the letter "r". Even without
signatures 100% of people will guess the name of the company whose icon they see.
Brilliant example.

8. Love Clip company logo. Made by Designabot agency.

The word Clip has many meanings, and, alternatively, the name of the LoveClip company can
translate "love clip". In this pink cheerful logo, both words,
included in the company name are played with one successful stroke. Another
an example of powerful creativity and accurate conveyance of meaning with the help of a minimal set
elements.

9. Sex Lovers logo. Made by Brigada Creativa agency.

The company name Sex Lovers means, I think you guessed it, "lovers of sex."
The task of the agency was to create a non-vulgar, but stylish and eye-catching
logo, which, in my opinion, they did brilliantly. Enough
the transparent meaning of the company's activities is conveyed by a beautiful and creative idea,
quite vague, but obviously fraught with something sexual.
Promising minimalism.

10. CodeFish company logo. Made by Mabu Agency.

The company name CodeFish can be translated as "code draft", "source code".
Playing with the word "code" and "fish" led to the creation of this wonderful logo,
in which a fair sense of humor of programmers is combined with a good creative
idea and quite recognizable fish silhouette. Shiny and without scales.

The 10 examples that I have given clearly show that in order to create nice logo it is not at all necessary to pervert and try to "find more for the same money." To compare the opposite approach, take a look, for example, at the logo of the well-known Moscow company Aromatny Mir, which shines brightly on many stores in our city.

This is not a logo, but a battlefield of ideas of six designers. They argue with each other, but in the end, as we see, neither of them defeats the other. And the company's management, apparently desperate to wait for the end of this battle, decides that "let it hang like that for now" and asserts what we see.

And the designers suggested this:
1. Remove the full inscription "Fragrant World" and leave only two letters "A" and "M" in yellow.
2. Make the logo yellow, but circle all the letters with a red border.
3. Write the logo in a regular font, but make a capital letter "A" with a squiggle.
4. Insert an unusual red glass into the letter "A" of the usual style.
5. Make all elements flat, but give volume to one of them (only the letter, not the glass).
6. Make a bottle holder out of the letter "M". But not like it is now, where bottles fall off the table, but more accurate. But "play" with only one letter, and leave the entire logo "no games".
As a result (apparently, in order not to offend anyone), all six ideas were adopted. Stunningly incompetent and clumsy.

Logo design is an area of ​​design that looks simple but can only be achieved through hard work. It is very difficult to satisfy the desires of a large number of people. It is difficult to create a new and eye-catching concept.

Simple logos. Benefits of a simple form over a complex one

Some logos play with the audience, show more to those who can see more, contain a lot key information about the brand. But at the same time, these are simple logos. All you have to do is look at the details and admire the wit of the designers, their ability to put so much into so little. The most difficult thing is to create a strict logo style, concise logos.

This article contains 40 examples of interesting logos. They have a minimalist style.

Logo for a hairdressing salon, Look company logo.

Represented companies produce good impression on the audience due to the fact that they do not overload it. Their logo design is minimalistic, as compact as possible.

The main features of the logo in the style of minimalism:

1) spatial freedom: a small number of graphic elements;

2) a light color palette based on the play of halftones, white combined with gray or black;

3) the use of simple shapes and lines, the absence of ornate decor;

4) the use of simple geometric shapes: a circle, a straight line, it is allowed to use a soft bend, but without spirals.

We see that concise logos can be very inspiring. When creating a logo, it is very important to show that the customer understands a lot about visual images, the symbols they carry. Thin, clean forms, simplicity and clarity of composition are the main advantages of strict design logos. Most often, a combination of two colors is used.

Minimalism is the most striking and controversial of styles. More and more companies are taking the path of simplifying the logo in the process of rebranding. Over the hundred years of the existence of the style, it has improved and acquired new forms.

Minimalism. Strict logo

Minimalism recognizes perfect forms, natural natural colors and textures. Designers do not use bright ornaments in this style, they prefer simplicity and asceticism.

Ideal Colors: white, grey, black or a few close neutrals.

The logo of the animation studio "Movement" and the logo "Milk mug".

Perfectly adjusted proportions add harmony to laconic logos.

Floral and animal ornaments and monograms are not used in such logos.

Logo for the travel company Polety and Seven Sparrows.

Minimalistic style is systematic and somewhat pedantic. It is impossible to single out unequivocally a group of companies to which it can suit. Strict design in some variations may appeal not only to the male, but also to the female audience. For women, we recommend using a brighter color scheme, while maintaining the main features of a strict design.

Logo of the medical company "Chelovek".

Minimalism affects such important modern man concept like ergonomics.

Ergonomics is the use of as few details as possible to build a composition. The correct use of only the most necessary with the rejection of everything superfluous, thus obtaining free space. Looking at a laconic corporate identity, a person takes a break from the information flow that accompanies him daily.

Today, minimalism has penetrated not only graphic design, but also interior design and clothing. The direction was formed in the 1960s in America and has firmly entered our lives. One of the reasons for the popularity of minimalism was the information overload of recent decades. The popularity of this style in graphic design and fine arts is steadily growing every day.