Visual Branding Trends: From the Standardization of Google to the Personalization of the Nokia logo

As a lover of design and branding, I always enjoy discussing the latest trends and polemic topics in the industry. Recently, the launching of Nokia's new logo caused some buzz in the market and led to discussions among my friends on WhatsApp and Slack groups about its readability. This topic brought me back to the same polemic around the readability of Kia Worldwide's logo and also the memories of a visual movement that occurred a time ago in which big brands standardized their logos, with most of them being sans serif lettering logos. Google was one of the first brands to adopt this style, which was then followed by many others from tech, and especially in the fashion industry.

At first, I found the trend a bit strange, as it seemed that brands were removing personality from their logos to appeal to diverse target audiences. However, it makes sense, especially for fashion brands, as people wear their clothing, and the logo there becomes part of their personality and style, so it’s better it doesn’t add noise to it, keeping the lights on the fit of them. Nevertheless, as a brand designer, I felt that it made things less interesting as most brands looked the same.

Now, with Nokia's new logo, I feel we are about to see the opposite trend, from “fontstock” based logos to highly personalized and unique graphics. Some brands may focus on lettering, playing with readability, positioning, and gestalt, while others will probably invest in symbols, ideograms, badges, and other creative elements. Although this trend is exciting (because it brings room for amazing possibilities), there is something that concerns me, which is the open space for brands to recklessly break the rules of readability, kerning, and contrast, which were highly prioritized in the previous trend.

For instance, ZARA USA created a polemic logo by reducing the space between characters to negative, while Formula 1 renewed its classic logo, which was mistaken for the letter "A" instead of F1. While these new logos are not necessarily bad, it's crucial to understand deeply the rules of design to break them smartly. With this new trend, I fear that some brands may execute bad designs due to shallow knowledge of design principles.

Although, it's essential to remember that a rebranding process is much more than just changing the graphic element that represents the brand. It's about the company's strategy, and there are many things to consider, including the brand's history, target audience, and visual identity. I had the privilege of leading a rebranding project for Printi - uma empresa do grupo Cimpress the main e-commerce of printing material in Brazil, a brand I was involved in from the beginning, and it was an incredible experience. We were able to think about the brand's preview path and next steps, what should be kept, improved, and changed, and we've landed on a great result that brought significant achievements to the company, you can check the full project here.

It's crucial to note that the companies that undergo these famous rebranding projects are large corporations with massive communication power, a lot of money, and top-of-mind awareness, so they can manage the situation by investing in strong communication. Therefore, it's essential for brand designers to understand the impact their proposals and decisions can make and test their efficiency and reaction regarding the project's goals and expected results.

In conclusion, the branding industry is continuously evolving, and trends come and go. But, it's important to understand the principles of design and branding to execute successful rebranding projects. As a Brand design director, I am excited to see the new trends that will emerge in the coming months and how brands will personalize their graphics to stand out in this crowded market.