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Tips on Refreshing Your Logo

By on July 6th, 2020 in Design

There are a handful of logos out there that have proven that they stand the test of time: Starbucks, Mastercard, and Apple. But, over time, they have been given minor updates in order to provide a refreshed, modernized look to reflect up-to-date design trends. Your logo can have a strong impact on your business, so maybe you want to play it safe and maintain the overall “look” of your current logo with just a few minor updates. Here are a few tips on how you can refresh your logo and keep your identity fresh.

Update the font(s):

A shift in trends that I have noticed on logo updates mainly includes a change in font, typically from serif fonts to san-serif fonts. A classic font such as Montserrat, offers many typestyles ranging from Thin to Black that can give you options to be creative. You can try un-capitalizing letters to create a uniform letter height, and/or removing a space but indicate the separate word with a bolder typestyle. I have also seen some companies drop the text completely, and rely solely on the symbol. Keep in mind, legibility is key!

Change the colors:

When considering a logo refresh, brand familiarity is important to maintain. A complete change of color may confuse loyal members/customers but a change within the color family is an easier visual adjustment. To keep consistency, consider adjusting the main color, but keep other colors the same.

Simplify the artwork:

If you’ve had your logo for ages (I’m talking 10, 20, 30 years) it’s safe to say that it follows design trends that have evolved over time: complex artwork, gradients, drop shadows, etc. Designs with these features will not reproduce well when scaled down for online usage (social media, mobile apps), business cards, screen printing, or embroidery. Simplify your artwork by removing those effects and unnecessary details so it can be used universally rather than creating multiple versions for web, print, logoed products, apparel.

To further show how a few minor updates can refresh a logo, I have researched three highly recognized brands that have had a series of logo refreshments made of the course of a few decades:

Mastercard Logo evolution

Evolution of the Apple Logo

Starbucks logo evolution

Your logo is the face of your brand. It represents your organization and the services you offer. What you offered even just five years ago may be outdated compared to what you offer today. Give us a call today if you are interested in a logo and branding refresh. We’d love to work with you!