{"id":15348,"date":"2012-08-06T13:01:09","date_gmt":"2012-08-06T13:01:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/?p=15348"},"modified":"2026-04-13T06:27:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T06:27:48","slug":"simple-vs-generic-logos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/","title":{"rendered":"The Art of \u201cKeeping It Simple\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cKeep it simple, stupid!\u201d (KISS) approach can be applied to virtually any field or industry. This design principle was articulated by the American engineer, Kelly Johnson. Graphic design is a specific industry that has adapted this approach, especially with logo design and the hundreds of new logos coming to life every day. In this budding industry, it&#8217;s important to know about the simple vs generic logo design battle that&#8217;s fought everyday in an attempt to be original.<\/p>\n<p>With so much competition, designers strive to come up with unique and innovative designs that would become recognizable. While there is certainly no substitute for hard work, sometimes the KISS approach works really well here.<\/p>\n<p>The main idea is to stick to the basics by keeping the design simple, which could lead to a great logo. Many designers think this leads to a design that is too generic; we\u2019re here to explain that\u2019s not always the case.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Generic Logos Explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>A generic logo is a design that is too common and you tend to see variations of the same design being used repeatedly. This often leads to trademark issues \u2013 whether it is trying to file for a trademark or trademark infringement issues if the design similarities are too obvious, while the basic idea remains the same. Companies that invest lots of money in their brand image don\u2019t want to run into such problems.<\/p>\n<p><center><\/center><center><\/p>\n<p><\/center><center><\/center><\/p>\n<p><strong>Generic logos are mostly based on unoriginal and overused images<\/strong>. A common example would be the roof image used for a real estate company or using a tooth for a dentist\u2019s office. With this, there is a chance of these becoming derivative designs. That being said, it\u2019s better to steer clear of overused, generic logos. Which is why it is important that business owner understands the significance of a unique logo design.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s always smart, on the designer&#8217;s behalf, to ask the client what they\u2019re looking for. Be sure to explain that while there\u2019s no harm in using a roof image for their real estate company, an original logo will stand out and not get lost in a sea of overused images (in this case, other businesses with roof designs).\u00a0 Ultimately, the choice lies with the business owner.<\/p>\n<p><center><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25779 lazyload\" title=\"Generic logos\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/1-39.png\" alt=\"Generic logos\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/400;\"><br \/>\nImage Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.freepik.com\/free-vector\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\">Freepik.com<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Logos Simplified<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Simple logos are not generic logos; their overall design layout is unique. What\u2019s simplistic are the design attributes. Maybe the logo uses a standard black and white color scheme or there is no background layout. Take the Wal-Mart logo for instance, the asterisk (or sun, depending how you view it) has become the recognizable symbol of that brand. Another example would be the M in McDonald\u2019s, the golden arches of the M can stand alone and be recognized internationally.<\/p>\n<p><center><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-25779 lazyload\" title=\"Simplified logos\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2-38.png\" alt=\"Simplified logos\" width=\"600\" height=\"400\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 600px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 600\/400;\"><br \/>\nImage Source: <a href=\"https:\/\/1000logos.net\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"broken_link\">1000logos.net<\/a><\/center><\/p>\n<p><center><\/p>\n<p><\/center><center><\/center><center><\/center><center><\/center><\/p>\n<p>After looking at famous brands, you will notice that almost all have a more simplistic logo. <strong>These logos are memorable and unique<\/strong> without over doing it. Using the example of a dental logo again, you don\u2019t necessarily need to use a generic tooth design. What you could use is a toothbrush or sparkle.<\/p>\n<p>Designers must research to make sure the logos they create are not identical to any other. While business owners opting for a simple logo should stress that they want unique symbols used. Just because you want your logo to stand out doesn\u2019t, mean it has to be complex.<\/p>\n<p>Clients should have a faith in their designers, especially when it comes to understanding the difference between generic and simple logo designs. It is often the simplistic logos that make the biggest impact. As a designer, you just need a little creativity and originality.<\/p>\n<h6><\/h6>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The \u201cKeep it simple, stupid!\u201d (KISS) approach can be applied to virtually any field or industry. This design principle was articulated by the American engineer, Kelly Johnson. Graphic design is a specific industry that has adapted this approach, especially with logo design and the hundreds of new logos coming to life every day. In this [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":15352,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[293],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-logo-identity"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Art of Keeping it Simple<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Many people don&#039;t have an understanding of the difference between a simple vs generic logo design. What do the two mean and how they impact your design.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Art of Keeping it Simple\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many people don&#039;t have an understanding of the difference between a simple vs generic logo design. What do the two mean and how they impact your design.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"ZD Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"http:\/\/facebook.com\/zilliondesigns\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-08-06T13:01:09+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-13T06:27:48+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-515775477.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"750\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"410\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"ZD Team\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@zilliondesigns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@zilliondesigns\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"ZD Team\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"ZD Team\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/02a0cd9f794e713c21a9b769b71cef95\"},\"headline\":\"The Art of \u201cKeeping It Simple\u201d\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-08-06T13:01:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-13T06:27:48+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\"},\"wordCount\":624,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-515775477.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Logo Identity\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/\",\"name\":\"The Art of Keeping it Simple\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/simple-vs-generic-logos\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.zilliondesigns.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-515775477.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-08-06T13:01:09+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-13T06:27:48+00:00\",\"description\":\"Many people don't have an understanding of the difference between a simple vs generic logo design. 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