Logo Design Trends That You Should Be Aware Of In 2021

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Now that we’re well into the new year, we thought it would be nice to do a quick audit of some of the top logo design trends making their mark on the web.

Like seasons and styles, popular logo designs evolve over time. Color is periodically at the trendsetting forefront; in other years, shape takes the lead. And, like a vintage handbag or a mature wine, the logo designs that dominate often recall older trends in their novelty.

If you’re about to make your own logo, remember: Some logos are timeless, while others need to make subtle changes to keep up with consumer demands. While it’s true that making a unique logo can help your brand stand out, you don’t want to dip into a logo design that will later be accused of being outdated – because it will send your audience the message that your business, too, is past its prime.

So, in the spirit of creating a logo that can keep up with its competition, or even just for some plain old design inspiration, here are the logo design trends taking 2021 by storm.

1. Natural Tones That Emulate Nature

With 2020 being a year where we were locked inside, 2021 is looking ahead to a year filled with nature and #earthtonesonly.

This growing design theme emits an airy sense of simplicity, calmness, and harmony. And, it’s a great reminder to take a second to smell the roses.

What’s great about this is it will give your logo a clean and balanced look regardless of which part of the theme you go for.

Using the shapes of nature in a simple leaf outline may be exactly what your logo needs or you can opt for a soothing green and brown color palette to help your logo bloom.

You don’t need to be an environmentally-oriented business to use this theme as a symbol of new beginnings and growth.

2. Simple Geometric Shapes

A modern logo design often plays upon elements of symbolism. This year we’re taking it up a notch by using classic shapes to form a great logo design.

Think of emblems as your go-to for this design style, but not something too regal or busy.

This trend will emphasize the soft and simple aspects of design while giving a logo the structure it needs. Think of how a logo could translate onto a stamp. In order for it to maintain structure within the soft texture of the stamp ink, a geometric shape is a must to hold together the design.

3. Calming Color Schemes

Monochrome, color-less, and muted tones are going to take the lead in most logo designs this year. But, it is its own theme aside from that.

Having a simple color palette allows for more freedom in the design itself. Think about it, if you have loud colors and a crazy design, your logo will give off a very strong and noisy vibe. This is great for some brands, but not for all.

If you tone down the color palette, you have the opportunity to go wild on the font and symbol combination. Since the element of color ties it together, the logo will look calm, relaxing, and clean.

Muted colors give off a feeling of safety and security. It’s important to remember that coming out of 2020, a lot of us yearn for that. So play on our human needs and go design your soft-toned logo!

4. Glitch/Static Motion

As much as each of us may hate to admit, 2020 lead us down the rabbit hole of TikTok, and with that, the glitch trend.

So why not take on 2021 by fully embracing the fact that the glitch is cool. It sends us back to grainy TV but also launches us into the future with a feeling and excitement for uncharted frequencies.

Whether your industry is classic photography or the future of hi-tech, the glitch can work for you because of its versatility.

Let your customers feel the vibrations of your message and brand by designing your logo with static movement in mind.

5. Cartoon Integrated Modern Design

There’s something lighthearted and fun about cartoons – maybe it’s because we grew up watching them. Now they’re making a comeback in logo design.

Many companies are opting for a ‘mascot’ to represent their brand, and it’s working so well. Not only does this breathe new life into an old logo, but it also allows for extreme variety.

You can choose to pair your character with text, which gives your logo a more dynamic feel – you can brand business cards with the text and staff t-shirts with the character, for example.

This logo format also helps you breach into other branding platforms. You can personify your character and bring it to life in short clips for social media.

Think about how a character can emulate your branding goals and go from there. Take this trend as a way to be playful and stand out from the crowd.

6. Disappearing Letters and Text

Wordmark logos are sturdy and make sure that your customer knows exactly which brand they’re interacting with. With developments in graphic design and the freedom to create your own font, text has a new purpose.

This year we’re seeing minimalism effect wordmarks with the cool look of negative space and disappearing text.

The missing parts of the letters or words give the impression of mystery and help grab the attention of your audience. Just make sure not to take it too far where your logo is illegible.

Another fun way to incorporate this fascinating design is to play with the negative space in your design to help it form a relevant shape for your brand. Think FedEx where there’s an arrow in the negative space between the ‘E’ and the ‘x’.

7. Gradients

When we talk about gradients in logo design, I want you to get the image of single-shade gradients out of your head. When using gradients this year think of bright colors that blend to give off a soft and safe but eclectic vibe.

And to help elevate your gradient logo even more, how about trying a 3-D design? Use the help of shadows and highlights to make your gradient really pop.

You don’t need a logo design with a billion colors, but take two that speak to you and your brand and blend them together to create the perfect visual for your new website, t-shirt, or bucket hat.

If this style suits your needs, have fun with it! Let your inner-rainbow shine onto your next logo design.

Over to You

From nature tones to static motion, there are many exciting designs to try on your logo and give it a fresh look for the new year. Which of these trends do you think will last past 2021?