10 Decades of Logo Design Evolution

Why do you think brands like to change their branding or logo identity? One might guess, it is to fit in with the existing logo design trends. Sometimes, a rebranding from scratch could indicate a possible merger or brand acquisition. However as consumers, we fail to realize how dramatic a change can be unless we have access to the history of their designs. Try naming a few brands that existed in the 1900s or in 1910s or 1920s and check their logo design today. Do you notice a trend in logo design evolution of popular brands?

A Little History

If you thought branding is a new phenomenon, you are in for a huge surprise. The idea started evolving in the industrial revolution and in the post-world-war era, but it existed since the time people started trading. Whether they sold cattle or a piece of craft, they always seal it with a crest symbolizing their trade mark.

Truth be told, humans have utilized graphic iconography for centuries. They never called it logos back then but the job done by images in the medieval times and in ancient Egypt was more or less the same way. Now if we skip all the history and take you straight to the 20^th century (a period that observed exponential growth in almost every field), you will notice how the advent of print and advertising pushed logos to the forefront. That’s why the 20^th century has inspired us to create this infographic, tracing logo design evolution trends.

Fast Forward to the Latest Century

Moreover, in today’s age, becoming memorable to the consumer has become even more challenging. In the beginning of the 20^th century, the same imagery was used for multiple products but the designers of today have to keep in mind the idea of target marketing, design techniques, and consumer psychology etc.

More than 100 years of logo design reveals some interesting insights about design trends of the past. Let us take you down the memory lane of logo design history as we dissect the century into decades, and perhaps learn a thing or two to incorporate them in our future design work.

Witness the evolution of logo design from crests and elaborate wordmarks to iconic logos identified around the world despite their brevity. Take a look at the infographic and compare the logo designs then versus now.