logo design trends/ 2017

_ Branding and Identity Design Resources

Psychedelic Pop Backgrounds

_corporate identity design

A myriad of colours and shapes burst
into the scene even if design classes
still promote a decrease in complexity
in favour of concept and essence. Again,
this new development led to a no-holds
barred position, putting everything out in
the open, concelling nothing.

Every technological revolution inevitably
gives birth to a romantic counter culture.
But mixing these two by using 1960s
psychedelic patterns as backgrounds for
contemporary shapes is as postmodern
as it can be.

What do the backgrounds whisper to us?
You have a message in two parts: part 60’s
psychedelic, part Optical Art. The use of
layering reveals Photoshop taking the
vector lane. This approach is fueled by
mood and emotion.

Psychedelic pop backgrounds are reminis-
cent of the flower power era, but they go
beyond an ultra-modern, non-orthodox mind
set. They are unpretentious and democratic.
There is no arrogance, no snobbery.

A good majority of this year’s trends do not
translate well in print.Innovations in technology
and the adoption of a variety of tools have
made black and white printing no longer manda
tory. Some clients are aware that when they
choose a particular trend, they are potentially
removing their logo’s significant meaning and
nibbling away at their appearance when trans
formed into black and white or when the logo is
faxed. What do they get? They get powerful
and colorful striking images in 90% of the other

Origami

_corporate identity design

The desire to go back to basics is mirrored
in the Origami theme; designers used it to
display their skills.

An increasing number of designers wish
they have real objects to work with when
executing on their projects. The art of
origami is fragile, light and subtle and the
digital process is the same. It closely
resembles minimal geometrical forms
discussed earlier but constitutes more of
a sub-trend.

Origami, however, evolved as a trend in its
own way, because it was a process that
appealed to a broader range of designers.
The trend won’t last too long, for the simple
reason that the results are a bit too similar.

clarity and simplicity, the logos will make the
designer’s presence predominant. Origami-
based logos are a good choice for corporate
monograms.

This trend brings back to mind the expression,
“small but beautiful”. Origami is the Japanese art
of folding paper, but the goal is to use small folds
and creases to bring about delicate and intricate
objects. This can be a challenge for logo
designers and this is why they put in much time
and effort to come up with a logo that respects
the objective of using small amounts to produce
intricacy; this is why despite meager strokes,
the designer’s presence is strongly felt.

Tactile Logos

_corporate identity design

What sensations are triggered when you see
letter installations crafted out of a variety of
materials and then photographed? Does
“cool” come to mind? How about “sensual”?
Tactile means relating to touch or invoking
the sense of touch. But tactile does not have
to translate into tactless. What can’t be
absorbed by touch – texture – must be
compensated for by the visual.

Logo designers who like to experiment with
tactile logos want to change common
textures in the real world. They may work
well with their preferred software, but they
also have no problem with the traditional
tasks of cutting, painting and pasting.
Actually it does take some smart maneuvers
to make tactile logos influence viewers at
more than the “touch” level. The texture and
quality have to transcend the feeling of touch.

The process is a huge challenge even for the
most experienced graphic designers.
Creating type from real materials is a unique
experience. The possibilities are endless.

Designers feel they are walking on almost virgin
ground and every creation looks like a significant
breakthrough. Type installations are supposed
to create a special mood and atmosphere. The
results evoque craftmanship and tangibility not
often seen in logo or type design.

How designers cleverly manipulate this tangible
aspect so that it makes sense to even the
untrained eye is pure talent. Tactile logos never
cease to stimulate logo designers; these are the
very type of logos that force them to retreat into
the inner sanctums of their mind, translating what
resides mentally into concrete strokes, regardless
of whether these strokes are on metal, paper or
on other types of materials.

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