What does it mean to be trendy? It’s defined as being fashionable and up to date. The thing about trends is that they get outdated really quickly. Do trendy designs make for a good end product? Is it okay to use trendy ideas to implement your logos? You may have to decide for yourself what’s best for you and your goals.
Trendy Trends
A lot of designers like to fall into the trends of logo designs. You will see the same clean looks, or the same circle patterns. There’s swooshes, leaves, faces, hands, wings etc., and they all seems to follow the current trends. What we want to do is recognize a trend and then not follow it. Try to be unique and be your own individual. If you do a search for “logo trends” you will see what I mean.
Thinking Back
Think back to when you first took an interest in drawing or art. Almost all of us started out copying something someone else did. As we grew, we learned how to develop our own ideas, but still may have copied the same style. Then there was that point in time where we had our own style and way of doing things. When did we start copying styles again? I guess it’s natural for most people to do the popular thing. Throughout our lives, we notice that if something gets positive attention, we want to do it too. To move from the follower to the leader, there are steps that need to be made.
Take Your Creativity Back
One of the steps that are necessary to break through the pack is to just have fun. I mean really have fun! Make up a weird idea off the top of your head and just go to town. Think of it as your own little project. Think of a monster and add a story to it. Do your own thing without looking online at all. Maybe redraw something from your childhood or recreative something you did when you first started out. Maybe even take a logo you don’t like and remake it in your own way. See how much creativity you can put into it now.
Stand Above
Look around at some of the great memorable brands. Just pick one like Apple, Nike, GE, Coke, etc. They are solid and memorable, and they are at least 10 years old. The goal of a logo is to make sure it can withstand time. If you follow a trend it just won’t. It will blend in with the crowd, and won’t stand out in anyone’s mind. Have you ever seen someone dressed so weird that you couldn’t get it out of your mind? That’s what you want to do with your designs. Since trends are trying with a valiant effort to take over in design, now should be easier than ever to stand above the rest. Be different, fresh, and maybe a little daring.
Research
This may be like listening to a broken record, but research is really important. Like I’ve said before, the internet was made for this sort of thing, so dedicate maybe an hour a day to looking up the trends. See what’s popular and try to do better. Be clever and inventive with your ideas. With effective research and brainstorming, your idea will be as unique as possible.
