The evolution of brand logo design: From hand lettering to the metaverse

Logo design is a key part of branding, helping to create a recognisable brand identity that customers can trust, understand and relate to. In this article, we take a look at the history of brand logos, some popular logo design trends in 2023, and what the future has in store.

A brief history of logo design

The trading of goods and services has been around for as long as humans have existed. However, the development of individual brands with an accompanying logo design is more recent.

Industrialisation and the introduction of mass production in Victorian times kick-started the need for unique brand identities. Back when hand lettering and painted signboards were the norm, the first ever logo trademarked was for Bass Brewery in 1876.

Over the years, technological advancements have gradually led to digital logo design taking over, offering vast possibilities for those looking to create a memorable brand identity. From high-spec Mac computers to the extensive suite of graphic design and illustration programs offered by Adobe, modern logo design solutions are innovative, exciting and always changing.

Current logo design trends

One of the biggest logo design trends in 2023 is animated logos. With more and more of consumers’ time being spent online, harnessing the capabilities of digital logo design helps to make brands stand out and capture attention.

The best animated logos use motion to tell a story or explain the products and services that a company offers. Some of the best examples of animated logos that do this well include Google, LinkedIn and MasterCard.

Of course, it’s important not to neglect offline marketing by making sure your logo also looks great in printed and static applications. Other captivating modern logo design trends include neon colour palettes, eye-catching gradients, and distorted geometric shapes.

The future of logo design

With emerging technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence making waves in the design industry, attention is turning towards how we can use these tools to support company logo design in the future.

Collaborating with AI will likely play a big part in the future of identity design, offering unique and exciting possibilities for logo and brand design projects. In its current form, AI may not yet be sophisticated enough to handle complete logo and brand design projects on its own. However, it can be a valuable tool to generate initial ideas that can later be refined by experienced human logo designers.

In the era of Web 3.0, the continual development of the metaverse is another consideration for creating your logo design and brand identity. With augmented and virtual reality playing a more and more significant role in our everyday lives, there will be a need for businesses to create completely immersive brand experiences. What all of this means for brand agencies remains to be seen, but we’re excited to find out.

Logo redesign & brand evolution

As well as the changing face of technology, the needs, tastes and expectations of customers are shifting all the time. Brands must be able to evolve to accommodate them to succeed in the long term. Logo redesign is a small part of the overall brand evolution, but it’s important to regularly make sure your branding, goals and audience are aligned to ensure relevance in your market.

Some memorable examples of this include Facebook rebranding as Meta, or the evolution of the Starbucks logo from 1971 to the present day. While very different, both of these brand evolution examples show the importance of modernising your identity to meet the requirements of a modern audience.

Bring your brand to life with an animated logo

m360 is a capable and exciting branding agency offering everything you need to make your brand your own. From simple logo design to creating animated logos and complete brand identities, we’ve helped businesses to define, develop and revamp their brands.

Check out our previous projects for examples of our logo redesign and brand identity capabilities, or get in touch if you’re ready to bring your brand to life.