design secrets behind big brand logosAug 21, 2015 14:59 pmComments

 

 

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Hit the ground running by learning logo design from the biggest brands in the business.

Florida-based content marketing agency Fractl recently surveyed

1,000 people about the world's top 50 brand logos, and the results

are in.

Covering lots of different industries, the survey uncovered some

surprising trends designers should keep in mind when crafting their

next logo.

01. Use a simple palette

Of the 50 surveyed companies, a whopping 43 chose to use only

one or two colours in their logos. The results also show that blue and

red are far and away the most popular colour choices.

Colour psychology is a crucial part of logo design, and blue and red

represent opposite ends of the spectrum. Red is urgent and

dynamic, prompting instant action from the viewer, whereas blue is

more relaxing and encourages trust.

Simple colour palettes are a popular choice

Simple palettes play into the idea of colour psychology and clearly

communicate the brand's desired message. A logo with lots of

contrasting colours, on the other hand, with leave the consumer

confused about the product and company.

02. Think flat

The prevelence of flat logos has skyrocketed recently alongside the

rise of mobile internet browsing. Of the 50 surveyed brands, 45

were completely flat, and of the remaining 5, 3 incorproated a mix

of flat and bevelled surfaces.

Flat logos simply look better on mobile devices, and now mobile web

traffic exceeds that of desktop computers it makes sense that

companies have made the switch.

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However, not every brand has had to make a flatness compromise.

Volkswagen and BMW both use completely bevelled logos which

stand out due in no small part to their raised finish.

But with more shoppers browsing on their phones, unless your logo

is stronger in 3D consider making it flat.

03. Create multiple logos

Once again a trend emerged when it came to looking at how many

brands had more than one version of their logo in use. Out of the 50

companies that were surveyed, 36 had created multiple versions.

As long as your brand is still clearly identifiable, using different

versions of your logo can help you promote effectively across a

variety of platforms.

While a flat design might work really well on mobile, it's also worth

thinking about how you can streamline your logo so it stands out

against the other thumbnails that will be competing for attention.

Facebook, for example, recently changed its logo by opting for anew

typeface. However this redesign flew under a lot of people's radar

because the iconic Facebook 'f', used as a thumbnail on websites

and mobiles, remained unchanged