The new logo trend has become the focus of attention. The 2021 logo design trend is the continuation and innovation of 2020. We will see many things that date back to different eras: chrome and neon lights were juxtaposed with deep black and white images in the 1980s, similar to the 1930s.
The logo design trend in 2021 will continue to be based on everything that designers have been exploring in the past few years, and will also develop in a more dazzling direction. Let’s take a look at “the top logo and graphic design trends that define 2021.” Next to them, we have today’s customized logo design trends and complete logo makers including 3D gradients and complex animations.
The 8 main logo design trends in 2021 are:
- Bold typography
- Multi-layered and overlapping logos
- Original and imperfect logo
- Super thin line logo
- Complex animation with detailed details
- Back logo design in the 80s
- Vintage 1930s cartoon logos
- 3D gradient
1. Daring typography
In 2020, we will see many logos that will elevate the text from the text that supports images to the focus itself. I want to see a logo with stylish bold fonts, and its personality is as vivid as the brand it represents.
Weird fonts in logos are a big trend. It will continue in 2021.
There are many ways to make fonts weird, such as using letter size and position.
Goopanic describes the personality-driven typography in 2020 as “weird,” but you can also call it funky, crazy, or bold. Think of it as typography with your own ideas. Instead of choosing from the same old standard font list based on the client’s brand identity, the logo designer created a font that is very different from any font we have seen before.
There are many ways to deal with fonts, such as distress, reverse, or mirror. Even if the letters are scattered, the words will not be read linearly. Or use fonts that look like other fonts, such as scales on a fish belly or footprints in the snow. There is no single “correct” way to make a stylish font logo. The only correct way is to make sure it is clear and easy to read.
2. Multi-layered & overlapping logos
In 2020, the color of the logo is deeper than before, layer after layer. With this trend, designers gradually surpassed flat and semi-flat design. The shapes and colors are still simple, but to use more layers, designers are creating more complex logos that use highlights, shadows, and overlapping colors to convey more information about their brand.
Different color layers can turn a group of circles into fluid waves. Layering and shading turn these circles into waves. The three-dimensional effect of overlapping elements and shadows creates a tactile experience as if you can almost reach out and feel the layers.
Layers do not always have to have colors. The designer also used shadows and translucent layers to create subtle effects.
Layers and overlapping elements will attract people to in-depth logo design in 2021 and form more dazzling logo design trends. At the same time, it also puts forward more direct functional requirements for logo makers.
3. Original and imperfect logo
Next to the digitally designed gradients and 3D logo, it is worth listing the hand-drawn logo. These logos celebrate the “wabi-sabi” that accompanies painting and writing. They rejected the smooth, perfect look obtained through the design process and brought us back to the sketchbook, where there were asymmetrical, uneven lines and shading techniques (such as cross-hatching and contour shading) as well.
Like other 2020 logo designs, original, imperfect logos have been around for a while. In 2021, as brands continue to adopt locally produced organic looks, they become cruder and more like sketches and stamps.
With the improvement of all digital technologies, people yearn for the original flaws of hand-painted logos.
Brands can use hand-painted appearance to show authenticity and give the logo the personality that customers want to see.
4. Super thin line logo
In 2020, digital media will leave a distinctive mark on logo design trends. We have seen designers use extremely delicate lines to create effects that only work in the digital domain.
Because of their extremely high level of detail, these logos feel complex and ethereal. It is a new style in logo design, leaving classic logo requirements such as simplicity and reproducibility. Now, brands can only exist online, and printing restrictions restrict logos. Therefore, this trend will continue in 2021.
The logo with ultra-fine lines is smooth, abstract, and difficult to remove without computer assistance, which may be why it is popular among technical and industrial brands. This style seems to express the future of technology. As we enter the “cloud” deeper and deeper, it has less and less physical matter and talks about the mysterious possibilities awaiting us in the next few years.
5. Complex animations with elaborate details
Animated logos are nothing new, but today’s designers are making them more complex, more interesting, more comprehensive, and more useful for brands that rely on them. The 2020 logo design trend is a mixture of making 2D and 3D animations in the text logo and a complex logo with multiple moving parts.
Traditionally, animated logos are realistic and straightforward, but with new technologies, designers continue to work hard and play with details to make animations more refined and artistic. These complex logo animations are designed to take the audience on a journey and tell a story.
There are many details that viewers need to see, so it takes longer to watch these logos than simpler logo animations, and every time they see the logo again, they may find new things they like.
When you design an element that you can move, it will naturally attract the user’s attention.
The move towards more complex animated logos is similar to the progressive logo trend: you can do a lot more than planning for print when designing for screens. One of them is detailed animation.
You will also see many animated logos with different versions in all locations where they are used, and these logo design trends will not disappear anytime soon. It only became more and more popular in 2020 because as brands have more places for online and offline logo design, making logos work on multiple platforms will face more challenges.
6. 80s throwback logo designs
Make everything cool in the 80s again: video games, pop music, and the followed attitude. In 2020, people will see logos on the back with many chrome, many neon lights, and many pixels that were popular in the 80s. In addition, we will appreciate old-fashioned technology very much before the rectangular pockets that glow in front of us.
80s throwback logos have a clear aesthetic: bright, techy, sometimes quite glitchy. Logo design via Viet Huynh.
Logos on the back are famous because they can take advantage of consumer nostalgia. The old-fashioned technology used in the 80s is outdated, can be retro, calm, and most importantly, can be collected. When people collect cassette tapes again and make room in the living room to store the old-fashioned vaulted cabinets, the logo becomes more and more enjoyable.
Some logos refer to nostalgic items from the 80s, such as the joystick logo below. Others responded by combining typography and logo design trends from the 1980s, such as GV’s LI Mowz logo.
7. Vintage 1930s cartoon logos
Like the 80s trend above, this is another nostalgic design trend, but the style is entirely different.
In 2020, the cartoon look of 1930 may rise with its modern, clean, and stylish two-tone palette. Retro, handmade, hand-painted, line art styles will also be there.
In our rapidly changing world, everything is digitized, and people are looking for the familiar comfort of printed vintage cartoons to keep them grounded. The simple, expressive, and cute style of the 1930s was popular and attracted designers and brands.
By 2021, it is expected to see more retro-style, custom-illustrated cartoon logos that connect with the audience on a deeper emotional level.
8. 3D gradient
In 2020, we saw the popular gradient trend continue to evolve and merge with the 3D trend, which is very suitable for our smartphone society.
The gradient is an excellent way to transform any set of colors into dynamic colors, which feels like it has life and vitality. This year, designers will bring the latest developments in gradients, creating depth and 3D effects in the logo. In particular, the gradual, gradual gradient color is bound to impact the 2021 logo design trends.
In the next few years, designers will gradually use sharp gradients. It allows simple projects to be turned into more complex designs.
3D gradient logos may be challenging to print, but they are very suitable for screen use. That is why they are trendy among brands that don’t need the logo’s printed appearance. I hope to see designers explore the full potential of gradients this year and use them to create fascinating 3D effects, shadows, and depth, which we have never seen before.
Are you ready for the top logo design trends of 2021?
In the new decade, new design trends have been launched. These logo design trends are ushering in a new design era. We can’t wait to see how to use, destroy and reimagine them in 2021 and beyond! Only time will tell that they have all fallen.
Of course, before that. Whether you are a graphic designer or not, we must clarify that creating a striking logo must have unique ideas. At the same time, a complete logo maker is also essential and can even bring a pleasant creative experience.
For example, Drawtify Free Online Logo Maker
- Because it is a powerful publisher, graphic designer, animator and vector editor, and online graphic design software.
- Built-in vector editor, animation editor, photo editor, layout function and layout tools, as well as a large number of effect filters, design plug-ins and design resources.
- Including Windows and Mac (graphic design app) and Web (online graphic design software), there are 3 versions.
- Therefore, it is an ideal design tool for creating various graphic content (including motion graphics) anytime and anywhere.
- Importantly, it has almost no learning curve, and the online version provides high-quality editable design templates. Therefore, it is also the best solution and secret weapon for non-graphic designers to create amazing graphics.
For more logo design techniques, please view the Drawtify video.
Make Logo Design Easier!
The Drawtify team has released an “Easy to use & Full-featured” logo design app, Drawtify Logo Maker & Animator. It has almost no learning curve and provides many built-in editable logo templates and animation design templates. Therefore, it can help beginners become excellent logo creators and animators and help experienced logo designers complete logo design and animation design tasks more efficiently.
Drawtify Logo Maker & Animator is currently the latest logo design App in the Apple App Store. It suits all. Of course, it also has a Windows version. Start it. Easily create your business vector logos, animated logos, animated banners. And save cost and time.
For more competitive advantages and logo design techniques of Drawtify Logo Make & Animator, please check Drawtify’s official website or YouTube logo design video.
Of course, if you need to find a suitable logo designer to help you complete your logo design, you can refer to “How to Hire a Great Logo Designer.”