Modern logo design is one of the styles that many designers are keen on adopting in the present times. It is a slight shift in a design aimed at making logos adapt to the demands of modern design, without necessarily following any particular trend and while maintaining their effectiveness. Being a new approach, however, the concept of modernism is still not clear to many logo designers, especially the newbie who are just starting to get their hands wet with graphic design.

Whether or not you decide to use the modernism approach in logo design, you must ensure that the design maintains all the factors of an effective logo which includes everlastingness, flexibility, memorable and simplicity. If, however, you are sharp on being an expert in creating a contemporary logo, here are some killer tips to help you go along.

Think Future

When designing a modern logo, you should focus on the everlastingness of the design. As much as you are designing a logo to be used in the present times, you need to think about the future and consider all the practical ways in which the client is likely to use the logo. You should ask yourself if the logo will have the flexibility to be used in newsprint, online, large formats or enhanced on cloths.

Also, check if the logo will be changeable enough to be displayed on various devices such as mobile phones and tablets. Adopting such an angle in your thinking will give you the ability to create a logo that won’t only suit the needs of the business in the present times but also make room for future changes depending on the needs of the client.

Balance between contemporary logo fonts and historic logo fonts

One great aspect that determines the overall success of a contemporary logo is the choice of fonts. For the best results, it is highly recommended that you balance between contemporary and historic fonts. These fonts don’t appear playful and fancy as some of the modern fonts. They illustrate the authentic meaning of design when the industry was still in its infancy stages. They are also associated with exclusivity and nobility hence making it possible for them to be used in a more modern way.

For instance, you can try manipulating the scale and the spacing of the characters and see the various effects it has depended on the particular fonts you chose. Additionally, you can overlay the traditional fonts with some rational modern shapes when designing a modern logo so that you strike a balance between the old and the new.

Integrate traditional symbols

The other killer tip for creating a contemporary logo is the intelligent use of traditional symbols. An ingenious way of doing so would be to try and connect the design to a company that existed a long time ago. In this manner, you will create a sense of historical perspective in the modernism logo as well as a deeper level of symbolism which will make the logo not just unique but also memorable.

For you to achieve this, however, it will be imperative that you take adequate time for thorough research on the ancient symbols. The aim here is not to be a copycat but to achieve a deeper level of symbolism in the design of the modern logo.

Simplicity in the design

With every design project you work on, whether or not its a contemporary logo, simplicity will always prevail. Complicated logo designs are not just difficult to execute, but also, they never help the businesses in their branding needs. While creating a modern logo, therefore, you must strive to achieve simplicity by using fewer elements in the design. A common trend being adopted by designers working on these kinds of logos is to use a lot of negative space to improve legibility and also to help in directing the viewer’s eyes to the core elements of the design.

With contemporary logo design, there is always a tendency image-based, full-color graphics. You should, however, be very careful when working with such kinds of graphic for these logos. This is because in addition to driving up your printing costs, they won’t translate well into single colors such as black and white and this will make the design lose its versatility. Always remember to keep the design as simple as possible and only include the items that you feel are necessary.

No monotony in modern logo design

A good logo should be timeless. Take a look at Nike, BMW, Apple, etc. and you will understand this fact. When designing a contemporary logo, you must avoid monotony at all costs. For instance, when the logo is placed on the website, it should be able to stand alone and act as a powerful identifier, rather than depend on the website for exposure.

This calls for the proper use of colors so that the logo will blend well with the colors of the website and remain appealing to the eyes of the viewers. Such coherence is necessary to stop the logo from appearing monotonous, which might, in turn, trigger negative emotions and make people shy away from the brand.

Use these tips consistently and you will soon become a pro in creating a modern logo.

Learn if you should crowdsource a logo here!

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The process of creating a logo for a company is easier said than done. Most designers struggle for design inspirations so that they can create distinct and unique logos that will make their clients stand out from the crowd. The ultimate aim of every designer at the end of the design process is to have a simple, recognizable and effective logo. Whereas there are different types of logos, minimalist logo design styles seem to be getting a lot of attentions, and this is due to the immense branding benefits which it has already proven to have. It has helped many logo designers to create simple, clean, and distraction free logos effective for passing across the main marketing message of the business.

In minimalist logo design, the approach taken by the designers is aimed at removing all the irrelevant details from the logo and putting more emphasis on the essential parts of the design. This concept is quite alluring to many designers as a glance at some of the top company logos will reveal heavy application of minimalism in design.
For instance, minimalist logos in the current corporate world include Apple, Google, Nike, Shell, and Target. It will however interest you to know that there is no special design skill needed to create minimalist logos. If you are a proficient designer and you can grasp the basics of this principle, then you will be ready to start applying the concept to your designs. The following are some of the core principles that define how minimalist logos are created.

Wise use of colors

The use of colors in general logo design is usually a core component when deciding on the type of design approach to use. When it comes to minimalist logo design, the application of color should be done very wisely. An investigation on the most successful minimalist logos will reveal to you that they don’t rely heavily on many colors but use a few tones which are relevant to the design in question. In most of the cases, the colors used for such logos are bold and contrasting while at the same time reflecting the brand of the theme. You should also adopt a similar approach while trying to create minimalist logos.

Less is More

Simplicity is a core component of minimalist logo design. It relies heavily on the concept of more is less where the design strives to use very few elements while at the same managing to communicate effectively to the target audience. With this component, a lot of unnecessary details are removed from the design and only the important elements are left. It thus makes it easy to put emphasis on the particular design elements that warrant the attention of the potential customers. If you can apply the concept of Less is More in logo design, then you are on your way to becoming a minimalist logo designer.

Gallant use of white space

Since minimalist logo design aims at directing the attention of the audience to certain particular elements in the design, white space is used a lot to create the emphasis. It eliminates all the clutter and forces the viewers to focus on the fewer elements in the design. This is why every minimalist logo design you encounter will never miss to have gallant use of white space.

Purposeful Design

Since clutter has to be eliminated in minimalist logo design, every element left in the design must thus have a well-defined purpose. The images, the graphics as well as the content are carefully chosen and used to portray the right picture and the right message to the target audience. This is done while ensuring that the simplicity of the design is not compromised in any way and it will still be clear and memorable to the target audience.

Typography

Another closer look at most of the minimalist logos will reveal to you a conspicuous pattern of the choice of typography used. You will realize that with most of the minimal designs, big and bold typography rule. The fonts, the color, the texture and the positioning are done in a harmonious manner designed to stir emotion from the target audience. This is how companies with minimalist logos manage to create strong brands quickly because their choice of typography is working for them both textually and visually in promoting their brand.

Try exploring on your own

These rules are just but the general guidelines for creating minimalist logos. You should not let these block your creative mind. They are not absolutes and you should feel free to try a couple of stuff on your own. This is how to enhance your proficiency as a prolific minimalist logo designer.

The post How to Achieve Minimalist Logo Design appeared first on LogoMaven | Easy Logo Design Software & Logo Maker.

Logos don’t have to be designed in multiple colors in order to look great. The effectiveness of a logo is not dictated upon by the number of colors used but rather the logo’s ability to attract the attention of the potential clients and help the business or company in branding. A closer look into some of the most famous logos in the world will reveal that they have just but a few colors with the majority of them having one or two colors only.

However, this is not to deny the use of multiple colors in logo design. If they can be used effectively without distorting the logo, then there is no problem in using as many colors as you dim fit for one design. With that said, here are beautiful logos with just two colors to illustrate how a few colors in a logo design can be powerful:

The FedEx Logo

The first logo we look at with two colors is the FedEx logo. This is one of the renowned logistics companies offering the shipment of goods from one country to another. The two colors of the logo are purple and orange. These signify the dignity and the royalty with which the company conducts its services.

Other than having two logos, the FedEx logo has been cited in numerous places as being intelligently designed using negative space to introduce a hidden meaning to the logo. If you look keenly, you will notice an arrow between the “E” and “X”. According to the company, the hidden arrow in the logo suggests that the company is a forward moving one, and it has all its focus on the future.

The Shell Logo

Shell Corporation is one of the energy giants in the present times. The history of the logo dates back to over a century ago when the founders used to ship petroleum to India then come back with seashells to sell in Europe. This is where the inspiration for the logo came and it has never deviated too much from its original design, even though it has undergone a number of modifications. The only two colors of this logo are yellow and red and it is among the two color logos you will ever come across.

The CNN Logo

The CNN logo is another two color logo you will admire looking at each and every time. CNN is a leading cable network with presence all over the globe. The logo is designed in a manner that its shape reflects on the stability, power and reliability of the new network. The logo uses only two colors: white and red. The red color of the logo represents the valued image of the network as well as the omnipresence and the entrepreneurship of the company as well as its services.

The Amazon Logo

The Amazon logo is another two color logo that has been responsible for the branding and the immense success of the online retail giant. The logo is a simple typeface one with two predominant colors of yellow and black against a white background. Other than using only two colors, the logo has a certain hidden meaning that displays the design acuity that was expended in creating the logo.

It has an arrow starting at the first letter A and terminating at letter Z. This is an indication that the store has everything from A to Z which you mind. Additionally, the shape of the arrow represents a smile to indicate the good customers care service that has become synonymous to the online retail giant.

The Baskin Robins Logo

This is yet another two color logo with amazing hidden meaning. The logo is a simple B and R with the name of the company beneath it and all done in purple and blue colors against a white background. Baskin Robins is a leading ice cream franchise in the United States offering a total of 31 flavors and this forms the hidden meaning in the logo. Part of the B and part of the R has been used to indicate the number “31”, total flavors of ice cream offered by the franchise.

Hope for African Children Initiative Logo

Hope for African Children Initiative has a mission to support African communities. Its logo displays a magnificent use of negative space with only two colors of orange and gold. The white space used in the logo is the map of Africa, and it used to form the image of a child looking up to a mother. It is a wonderful two color logo filled with a lot of emotions of love and peace.

The Chevron Logo

This is an American multinational energy corporation considered as one of the six major oil companies in the world. The present logo has only two colors of blue and red, and it’s without a doubt one of the two color logos you will ever see in the present times.

Check out these essentials for logo design!

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The less is more design principle is becoming a strong trend lately in the spheres of logo design. It has come to the realization that simplicity leads to the creation of effective logo designs that will add immensely to the branding endeavors of the business and make it memorable to the clients for a long period.

The less is more principle would have been dismissed as another passing cloud, but if you see big companies and large corporations rebranding their logos to simpler ones, then you know that there are some serious undercurrents taking place. These companies spend fortunes in their branding and for them to revert to less is more logos, they must have done adequate research and are convinced that it is the best design approach to consider.

Netflix, PayPal, and Avery are some of the corporate giants who have demonstrated the effectiveness of applying the less is more design principle in logo design.

Why less is More Logo Design is Successful

It not in question that less is more in logo design has a lot of benefits as compared to cramming lots of graphics and wording in the same logo. Other than the aesthetic appeal created by such designs, here are some of the reasons why this concept is such a powerful one when it comes to the logos and overall branding for the company-:

Creates balance and harmony in the design

In the absence of balance and harmony,  a logo design might lose coherence and fail to capture the attention of the viewers effectively. The less is more design principle is useful in creating a harmonious layout in the design and removes any unsteadiness, either in the text or the graphics to make the logo more visible and easily recognizable.

Improves readability

One of the benefits of applying the less is more design principle is that it greatly enhances the readability of the logo. Simplistic logos does not feature a lot of texts and images hence viewers can easily and quickly comprehend what the logo is all about.

Leads to creation of simple yet sophisticated and elegant designs

If you are observant, you will realize that the corporation that have rebranded using the less is more design principle are some of the giants in their respective industries. Cheap and local companies will in most cases have overly complicated logos. It is also evident that simplistic logos are simple, yet display a great deal of professionalism and elegance in the design.

Gives focus and emphasis on the subject

When less is more is applied in logo design, there are few elements of design used making the subject of the design get a lot of focus. This clarity is immensely useful in branding for any business. Again, the less is more principle in logo design helps in directing the viewer’s eye to the particular components of the design that requires the most attention. There are no distractions around to make the viewer deviate from seeing and understanding the message of the logo.

Useful for mobile application

Since the world is drifting towards e-commerce and the use of the internet to access various goods and services, companies and organizations need to have their content readily available to a number of mobile devices used to access the internet. The less is more design concept is responsive hence, it renders perfectly well in the mobile devices. It is important to have in mind that over half of the world population with access to the internet use mobile devices for browsing. Hence, less is more is ensuring that every person who visits the various sites get a good experience, irrespective of their devices.

Flatness for more quality

The less is more trend leans heavily towards “flatness” in the logos as well as other graphic designs. It eliminates shadows and blurs that are the normal culprits in making logos or other graphics unreadable.

Works well with photos

Photos are a huge consideration when it comes to logo design. Not every photo will render properly in mobile devices, and since companies want their contents accessible to such devices, simplicity in logo design has provided the much-needed solution. Whether or not a photo is used in the logo design, it is guaranteed that it will display perfectly well on all the devices.

Less is more is here to stay

Despite the fact that certain corporate organizations have tried to rebrand using the less is more design principle but failed, we can only expect that the trend will get more steam and might be the main thing in logo design. While doing it, however, it is important to remember not to be over simplistic to a point where the logo loses meaning and relevance.

Use these top tips on creating a flat design that is simple

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