15 Modern Logo Design Tips to Boost Your Brand

Does your logo summarize your brand at a glance? Does it give a clear picture not only of what you stand for but also of what makes you stand out from the rest? If you didn’t answer a confident “Yes!” to these questions, then you might be missing the mark. 

In this article, we’ll discuss the importance of having a modern logo that represents your brand. We’ll also look at design tips to make your logo relevant and at par with those of today’s best brands. 

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What Makes a Modern Logo?

Even if you have a fool-proof social media marketing strategy or a solid branding tactic, they won’t get you far if your logo looks unprofessional, outdated, or just plain bad.

So, what exactly makes a modern logo? Though there isn’t a set of criteria to define the term, here are a few qualities that could make a logo modern.

• Simplicity. Simple lines, colors, and fonts make for a modern emblem that viewers can appreciate and remember without much effort. 
• Meaning. Despite its simplicity, present-day logos hold meaningful elements that symbolize a brand’s unique identity.
• Sleekness. Though vintage emblems with ornate family crests have a unique charm, it’s best to avoid those if you’re not a confectionery shop founded in the 18th century. Instead of elaborate images, brands today thrive by using clean modern logos that are straight-forward and uncomplicated.

Look at the products around you. What logos jump out as contemporary brands well-adapted in the digital age? That alone will give you a good grasp of the dos and don’ts of modern logo design.

15 Modern Logo Design Tips

Here are 15 modern logo design trends to guide you as you brainstorm for yours.

1. Splash of Color

Slack’s logo shows how an image can be colorful but modern and trendy at the same time. That said, the logo is a great example of how using multiple colors can be used without looking tacky and outdated. 

2. Clever Illustration

This logo is an example of a creative image we previously created. As you can see, the illustration is a clever depiction of what the brand name literally means.

3. Multiple Meanings

This image for Airbnb is an example of sleek modern logos that incorporate multiple meanings. In fact, the company says it’s a combination of three things: a person with arms open wide, a map pin, and a heart.

4. Play with Fonts

Modern logo fonts don’t always come in the form of sans serif typeface with sharp edges. To illustrate that idea, this logo for Trello shows how a soft font can also make for a contemporary look.

5. Combined Images

We made this logo for a retail venture that sold apparel with creative tea-inspired designs. That said, the image features a combination of the two elements that best define the business.

6. Simple Shapes

This logo, made by one of our designers, uses simple shapes to create an eye-catching image. A seen in the image, the layered squares don’t only add depth to the image but also adds to its dynamic look.

7. Images as Letters

See what we did there? We used the “d” and “w” of the name to illustrate a shower and a bathtub. As a result, the logo looks clever and makes the brand name a bit easier to remember.

8. Simplified Image

Without a doubt, a snowflake can be an intricate thing to illustrate. However, the cloud data platform Snowflake was able to create an image that’s simple but still visualizes the inspiration.

9. Go Minimalist

Most modern logo ideas display a certain level of minimalism. For instance, before DoorDash updated its logo in 2018, it looked like a pair of “D” wings mid-flight. The new logo still reflects that concept. However, this version is a lot more minimalist and a lot less noisy.

10. Basic Reference

Robinhood is a free-trading app that promises to make clients’ money work harder. That said, the logo uses the iconic feather, which is a general reference to the legendary heroic outlaw popular to many.

11. Go Geometric

If you’re looking for modern logo lettering ideas, consider going geometric. For instance, this logo for Nuro features a typeface featuring corners in all letters.

12. Incorporate the Product

Many modern logo design 2020 examples use a monochrome palette, just like this one for dosist. This venture offers dose-controlled cannabis, and the round shape on their logo represents their small tablets. 

13. Add Some Texture

Aside from using modern logo colors, this logo, created by one of our designers, uses a creative illustration that adds texture to the overall image.

14. Use Negative Space

This logo for Peloton shows how making the most out of negative space can result in a dynamic visual asset. The image shows that the logo represents a bike crank and crank arms, but the negative space cleverly shows the letter “P.”

15. Shape + Line

Daily Harvest’s minimalist logo shows a great combination of a simple shape, a simple line, and a simple typeface. The result? Simply modern and sleek.

A Picture Paints a Thousand Words

And often, a logo does too. 

As a matter of fact, according to Sagi Haviv, partner at New York firm Chermayeff & Geismer & Haviv (CGH), a good logo gains power and meaning over time. 

Let’s say you chose to go for one made with a free modern logo design maker. Chances are, you’ll have the same logo as a million other ventures. As a result, you’re unintentionally painting your brand as a run-of-the-mill venture with no unique quality.

So, instead of settling for a logo made from an online generator, give the project more time and effort. Then, have a graphic designer translate your ideas into a professional design. Since it’s a symbol that can make or break the impression that you make, it will surely be worth it. 

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