Where has originality gone? Is less more or is it just really boring?
Google adopted a Sans Serif re-brand in 2015 after major restructuring to the business and a new parent company. They said the change was to better reflect the reality that Google is no longer just a website that you visit on a desktop computer but a huge collection of sites, apps, and services that you visit on PCs, Chromebooks, smartphones or anywhere you can find a web browser. The re-brand allows users to identify the new logo on even the tiniest of screens.
There is no denying that Google have mastered their global success, they are the God of all search engines. In 2015, they showed that their key focus was usability, making everything the best they can for their users. They knew that by keeping their iconic colours, which is a key factor of their unique brand identity, they could use whatever font they wanted and you’d still know it’s them.
However since then, other brands have followed suit, some have worked, some not so great, but overall this new style now just seems a bit… boring.These five fashion houses all re-branded within 2 years. They all went from having unique and diverse logos with their own iconic fonts and features to a very simple Sans Serif styling, just like Google, but not like Google. They lost everything unique from their previous logos and kind of became sheep within the industry. The simple re-brand worked for Google because they had their colours which held their identity, but the fashion brands kept, well, nothing?
Trends do change within marketing and design just like they do in fashion, but when you look just like your competitors? Is that a design trend you want to follow? Haven’t we always been told it’s best to stand out within your industry?So many other companies are simplifying their logos too, Airbnb, Ebay, Spotify and Pinterest. Don’t you just find it all just a bit… boring and un-original, when all these different brands we love for various different reasons now look the same?
Take a look at Airbnb and Spotify. At first glance you would think they used the same font with simply different colours separating them apart. These are two very diverse companies selling completely different services, yet visually they’re so alike.Logos used to all be so different, some would have icons, some would have slogans and some even had clever little hidden messages or representations. As a designer of logos myself, I do try to still include these iconic features but sometimes you can be stuck between looking original and looking outdated. When such big brands are going for this stripped back look and less seems to be a whole lot more, which route do you take?
Do you think you should be able to look at a logo and easily recognise what the business is and what it does? Is a simple logo okay for brands that are already so widely known? What approach would you take if you were setting up a new business for the first time and wanted to stand out against your competitors? Let us know in the comments below!