Tuesday, November 26, 2019

What is brand voice and how do you establish a successful one?

We’re just gonna come out and say it: if your brand doesn’t have a voice, your stellar business concept won’t make it. Not a chance. Brand voice is the way you connect with your customers. It’s the way you share your company’s values and motivations. A brand voice is successful when it causes your audience to connect with, engage in and most importantly, believe in what you do.

Here, we’ll highlight companies that have nailed their brand voice and guide you through the process of creating your own.

Illustration by OrangeCrush

What is a brand voice?

Brand voice is the way you talk to your customers and is defined by your brand’s style of communication. Your brand voice is directed to your target audience, and it can have any style, as long as it feels true to your brand values and persona—be it authoritative, playful, intellectual, ominous, kind or fun.

Just as you communicate in a specific way with your family, friends, partners and colleagues, there’s also a way to communicate specifically with your customer base.

Consumers invest more in brands when there is an emotional connection, rather than with brands that dish out uninspired, disconnected content. In the end, it’s less about what you say—it’s about how you say it. Avenues for expressing your brand voice include, but are certainly not limited to, email, website copy, press releases, packaging, ads, and social media platforms.

How do you develop a brand voice?

The first step in developing your brand voice is to assert your core brand identity by establishing your vision, mission and values and highlighting the aspects of your business that help it stand out amongst the competition. Start by choosing three distinct descriptors for your business. These should be clear words that evoke a visceral feeling. Think: passionate, reliable, quirky, or relaxed. Consider the mood you want your content to elicit and how you’d like your company to be perceived. These descriptions will lead the tone of all content you create.

Next, get to know who you’re talking to. What are the demographics for your current and future customer base? What do they look like? What would they want from your brand? Social media offers tools to pull insights. If you can, turn to those in your target community, and ask about what excites them most about your brand. This is invaluable information you can use when building your brand voice. From Facebook to Instagram to Twitter, offers analytical resources that breakdown age, gender, location, and the times of day that these folks are most engaged. Create a plan for how your brand will share content via different social media platforms.

Finally, build a style guide, a reference tool which helps maintain the consistency of your brand voice.

Exceptional brand voice examples

Beauty company Glossier packaging
Beauty company Glossier articulates wellness and beauty care for modern women through their empowering voice, creating an immediate personal experience.

It’s important to find your own champions when it comes to brand voice, but here are our picks for companies that are great brand voice examples.

The New York-based brand Glossier describes itself as a “people-powered beauty ecosystem”. Their brand voice articulates wellness and beauty care for modern women through empowerment and self-care.

Their vulnerable social posts and relatable visuals connect directly with their target demographic. Bright, feminine visuals are often paired with simple visuals and bold phrasing.

The New Luxury book

As a lifestyle website covering streetwear, sneakers, cars, lifestyle and the arts, High Snobiety translates style-conscious branding for the young, modern and provocative.

iPhone advertisement
Apple’s brand voice consistency conveys confidence, quality and intimacy.

Apple’s been the company to look up to in terms of setting themselves apart from their competition. Everyone feels welcome and many feel spoiled by owning their products. Perhaps this connection is somehow based on the level of intimacy felt within their copy?

Cards Against Humanity Prongles Facebook post
The successful party game, Cards Against Humanity, leads the voice behind their social posts with snark and dark humor.

The successful and infamous party game, Cards Against Humanity, leads their social posts with snarky phrases and dark humor to make a memorable mark on past, present and future customers. Take their spoof on snack food, Prongles! Their social media posts don’t shy away from shock value, but their consistent tone of (shocking) voice keeps their success rate high.

Whole Foods Trend Report Tweet
Health food store Whole Foods combines approachability, playfulness and nutrition through their social media presence.

Well-known American health food store Whole Foods combines approachability, playfulness and nutrition through their physical shops, website copy, merchandise, social media presence. This consistency throughout different platforms reassures their customer base that their values of community and wellness are behind their brand voice.

Franks RedHot meme
You don’t always need to speak directly about your business. Frank’s Red Hot shares custom memes to engage with audiences in a new way.

You don’t always need to speak directly about your business. Frank’s Red Hot creates humorous memes to engage with audiences in fun new ways.

Time to find your voice!

Creating a successful brand voice is all about establishing a tone that speaks directly to your consumers and that builds a robust community. Your brand voice is the personal and honest tone that keep your customer base happy and connected, Keep in mind that while consistency is key, it’s also important to be flexible. Be prepared to adjust your brand voice as customer priorities—and the market—change over time.

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The post What is brand voice and how do you establish a successful one? appeared first on 99designs.

Monday, November 25, 2019

10 top digital marketing trends for 2020

The digital marketing landscape is constantly changing. To help you stay ahead of the curve, below we outline the 10 best digital marketing trends 2020.

If you’re out-of-date with your digital marketing trends, you’re limiting your brand in both reach and repetition. You may be blissfully unaware of new marketing trends, but your target customers—and your competitors—are not. That’s why we curated the list of digital marketing trends below for you.

illustration of a person using digital media
Illustration by OrangeCrush

In 2020, we’ll see new marketing trends alongside some older, ongoing trends that are still effective:

  • Chatbots—personal assistance without the personnel; 2020 tech breathes new “life” into chatbots, making them more convincing — and popular — than years past.
  • Voice searches—as more people use digital assistants like Alexa or Siri, SEO leans further towards voice searches, with keywords based on how people talk, not type.
  • Video marketing—with hosting videos becoming easier and easier, each year sees more successful and ambitious branded videos online (including vlogs, #9 below).

With those existing trends in mind, here are the new digital marketing trends 2020.

1. Shoppable posts (social commerce)

For the longest time, businesses were wondering how to get their social media followers to visit their online stores. Now, they no longer need to.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Screenshot of a shoppable post on Instagram.
Shoppable post via clarosa

Social commerce refers to buying products directly through social media posts or ads—you don’t need to leave the site or app. These shoppable social media posts aren’t exactly new per se, but since Instagram Checkout launched in 2019, they’re rapidly getting more and more attention.

And why not? Shoppable social media posts just make sense. At least 54% of people on social media use it to research product purchases. The goal is to create less steps for your shoppers, not more, so selling directly on social media decreases the chances of sales abandonment.

You don’t even need to be an ecommerce brand. As long as you sell products, even just a few pieces of branding merchandise, you can see greater returns by allowing transactions through social media.

If you have a Shopify store, it’s as easy as linking accounts (for Instagram) or installing a plugin (for Snapchat). Otherwise, you may have to create stores in the right places, like Facebook, to qualify. You should also check out Pinterest—one of the first channels to offer shoppable posts.

2. Direct messaging

In a bid to get more personal with customers, brands are taking the conversation to DMs. As a means of streamlining customer service and assisting in sales, direct messaging is becoming one of the hottest digital marketing trends of 2020.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Screenshot of a ModCloth using messaging app for marketing.
Via ModCloth

Through messaging apps like WhatsApp, Viber and Facebook Messenger, or through private messages on social media like Twitter or Instagram, brands are building stronger connections with their customers. These forums offer the convenience of text with the immediacy of a phone conversation, all in an environment the user is already familiar with from talking with friends.

Brands find DMing customers to be effective for forging relationships, whether addressing complaints, taking sales orders, or even just goofing around. The big stipulation here is the customer agreeing to it—a customer DMing you first is worlds apart from you DMing them first.

This technique works best when you encourage users to message you by providing your handle or username, and maybe incentivizing them with an exclusive deal or coupon code.

3. Micro-influencers

Influencer marketing has been a digital marketing trend for a few years now. It’s been so successful, though, that big-time influencers are now calling the shots. It’s not enough to send them a free sample in hopes they’ll review it—there’s payment tables and pricing lists. Social media “influence” is now a commodity, and an expensive one at that.

Rather than competing with global enterprises for the top-tier influencers, small- and medium-sized businesses are opting instead to work with small- and medium-sized influencers.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Man taking selfie with selfie-stick
Via Pexels

Micro-influencer is a term that we’re seeing more and more lately. It refers to the medium-sized influencers with narrower niches—popular enough to be influential, still in touch with their followers and not overloaded with sponsorship offers.

In addition to being more affordable, micro-influencers also often have a better engagement rate than the more popular influencers. Think about it; because they have less followers, they can dedicate more personal time to each one. Moreover, it’s easier to specialize in a niche with micro-influencers, as they often represent niches themselves.

A study from Adweek revealed just how effective micro-influencers are. Categorized as accounts with around 30,000 followers, micro-influencers had 60% higher engagement while being 6.7x more cost-effective than influencers with more followers.

4. Polished & interactive emails

Email still remains just as viable as ever—the ROI of email marketing as of February 2019 was 3,200%. However, other experts notice that the numbers are slowing or stagnating. Rather than abandoning this fruitful channel, digital marketers are reviving it with a new coat of paint.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Screenshot of an interactive email
Via EMS

Lately, we’re seeing a swift decline in plain-text emails and newsletters. In their place are gorgeous, pixel-perfect emails that look ripped from a web designer’s portfolio. Email marketing now and through 2020 utilizes emails that look and function like web pages—including clickable buttons and other interactions.

These highly polished designs do more than just impress, they improve conversions. Readers are more likely to click stylized buttons with accompanying images than they are plain-text links.

But nowadays even using webpage-based email templates isn’t enough; you have to go the extra mile with stunning visuals and UX-centric designs. Considering ROI mentioned above, it’s worth making sure your emails are as engaging and beautiful as possible.

5. Sentiment analysis

Most of human communication is trying to figure out what the heck each other is thinking. And while hundreds of thousands of years of biological advancement haven’t aided us much in understanding each other, after just a few years of machine-learning technology and we’re already making progress.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Emoji designs for different emotions
Emoticon designs by ben_dsh

Sentiment analysis, or social listening, is the practice of analyzing the reactions of users and customers to a product or service, typically on social media or other places online. Online reviews and posts aren’t always a black-and-white “I like/dislike this.” There’s a big gray area with varying degrees in between. Maybe a user likes the product on a whole but one particular feature gets in the way. Maybe the product is fine just not what what they were expecting.

Sentiment analysis usually involves data-collecting tools and algorithms to scour online responses to your brand and evaluate them. Again, this isn’t a new digital marketing trend, but new technology is making it more popular than ever before. Advances in natural language processing let computers understand the meanings behind what humans say online, including slang and emoji.

Sentiment analysis tools like Critical Mention, Repustate or Lexalytics reveal what people really think about your brand. You can then use that data to fine-tune not just your products, but also your strategies for sales, marketing, social media and content.

6. Alternative and niche social media channels

Despite optimism over Facebook’s most recent earnings, the continual declines of both user growth and public opinion have shaken confidence in the platform’s dominance. Likewise, Twitter is seeing a similar plateau in growth, leading to a shift in power.

To be clear, both Twitter and Facebook will remain useful marketing tools throughout 2020 and beyond. But the exodus has already started.

Alternative social media channels are already seeing new interest and promising growth levels. If you can start developing your presence on these “secondary” sites now, it’s likely to pay off in a few years after they continue to rise.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Screenshot of Pinterest
Via Pinterest

In particular, Snapchat, Pinterest, Medium and Reddit are becoming new favorites for marketers lately. Facebook has been bleeding young users for years, and brands targeting the under-30 market are flocking to youth-centric outlets.

New and smaller social media platforms may not have the reach of the giants, but that’s not a bad thing. If you’re a niche brand, more specialized platforms are better at reaching your target users. Check out these Facebook alternatives, broken up by industry or interest, so you can find the social media platform that’s perfect for your niche.

7. Programmatic advertising

Just like with sentiment analysis, don’t send a human to do a robot’s job. AI and machine-learning algorithms are designed to make your work easier, and that includes optimizing your online advertising campaigns.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: illustration of robot in smartphone helping humans
Illustration by Iconic Graphics

Ad placement, media buying, performance tracking and customer targeting can all be handled by software. Not only do the results tend to be better, but “outsourcing” these tasks to a bot also frees up time in your schedule to handle more important tasks. It’s automation at its best.

Software like the Adobe Marketing Cloud or SmartyAds navigate the landscape of online advertising for you. Real-time bidding can be stressful and time-consuming, just like finding the right avenues to advertise on. Handing off these tasks to an automated system can be best for both you and your business.

8. Optimizing for featured snippets

One of the reasons digital marketing trends change so rapidly is because the platforms they depend on change rapidly. Just look at Google, which updates its search algorithm thousands of times a year

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Banner illustration showing different SEO tools.
by ConceptAlley

But as search engines evolve and become smarter, marketers need to adjust. More and more search queries have featured snippets, which enjoy a lot of real estate on the first page and get a lot more clicks than the other search results. That’s why it’s crucial to keep them in mind when creating digital marketing content and optimize each piece of content for featured snippets, using clear and well-structured content.

Google is trying to get better at delivering content to humans, so we need to take these changes into account and adjust our SEO techniques accordingly.

For marketers in 2020 it’s more important than ever before to create extremely high-quality content that covers topics throughly yet clearly and that is well-structured and easy to understand. We need to write for humans and for search engines alike, and make sure we don’t neglect one or the other.

9. Vlogging

Branded vlogs: a curse or a vlessing?

With the ongoing success of YouTube, Instagram Stories and Snapchat, video blogs are more popular than ever. As opposed to other video types like explainer videos or short films, vlogs are more personal and direct. Vloggers speak directly to the viewer (PewDiePie style), creating a more personal and direct connection—obviously a great boon to marketers trying to forge stronger relationships with their customers.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Screenshot of a YouTube vlog from Equinox Fitness, Game Day Workout
Via Equinox

More than just complaining about how the barista screwed up your order, vlogs can also be practical and strategic. You can live-stream special events that not everyone has access to, like a business conference or a musical concert. You can also post other homegrown content your customers would want to see anyway, such as celebrity interviews or behind-the-scenes looks.

As video marketing continues to rise, we’ll likely see more subcategories like vlogs emerge. Learning to differentiate your video content now will help for accommodating future trends… maybe we’ll list those next year for our 2021 digital marketing trends.

10. Talking to Gen Z on their own terms

Last but not least, marketers in 2020 are welcoming the latest consumer group, Generation Z. Those born just after the turn of the century are now turning 18 and entering the workforce en masse. Some sources even claim Generation Z will make up 40% of all consumers in 2020.

Digital marketing trend 2020 example: Example of a Gen Z meme
Via royallybaffled

Among other things, marketing to Gen Z means a sharp turn in how you stylize your content. The youngest market is also the quirkiest, with tastes that may seem weird if you’re used to marketing to Boomers or Generation X.

If Gen Z is one of your top markets, here’s a quick list of their general values to keep in mind:

  • Authenticity—having grown up online in the era of misinformation, Gen Z are very sensitive to authenticity and can smell phonies a mile away—avoid overly promotional approaches and opt for transparency instead.
  • Privacy—concerns about privacy rank highly among Gen Z, so respecting their data will earn you more than using it against them.
  • Diversity—the most diverse generation yet appreciates that diversity reflected in the videos and images they see online.
  • Sense of humor—Gen Z humor has been described as “absurdist” and other less-polite euphemisms, so if you personally don’t get it, hire someone who does.

Marketers note the similarities between Gen Z and Millennials, but as the Gen Z market matures over the next few years (in more ways than one), expect more divisive differences to emerge.

Ready for digital marketing in 2020?

The upcoming 2020 digital marketing trends are, paradoxically, both more human and more mechanical. It seems the general pull of digital marketing goes in the direction of more personal relationships with more targeted niches, but the means of making those connections rely on automation and new technology. The heart of digital marketing remains the same—getting people what they want, when and where they want it—and 2020 technology is just opening new doors to get there.

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Friday, November 22, 2019

Mapping out “The Future of Freelancing” with wildanya

Anya Perepelkina (aka wildanya) describes her style as curious, bright and bold. Her cheerful characters exist somewhere between the trend-forward front pages of Dribbble and Behance, and a universe all her own. They immediately caught our attention when she joined 99designs in 2017 and subsequently landed on our Creative team’s radar. When we broke ground on Design Without Borders: The Future of Freelancing, we immediately knew it was the perfect project for her. 

With responses from over 10k designers to distill and visualize, Anya worked closely with 99designs to bring the data points to life. For the 46-page report—which offers a comprehensive view into the experiences of the global creative freelance workforce—she created custom illustrations, charts and infographics, plus the layout itself.

Her personal experience as a professional freelancer added a layer of authenticity to the finished piece. (Case in point: she took reference photos of herself to ensure the characters occupying the pages were relatable.)

Female designer wildanya

We recently spoke to Anya about her creative practice and discovered she embodies the modern freelancer outlined in Design Without Borders. She’s educated, resourceful (thanks, YouTube!), works with clients all over the world, and is dedicated to continuously learning. 

Read on to learn how Anya stays inspired as a full-time designer and why she adores her online creative community. Plus, get a sneak peek of illustrations from the report.


Name: Anna Perepelkina
99designs handle: wildanya
Location: Russia
Specialty: Illustration

So, who is wildanya?

I came up with this username a long time ago when I thought I was wild (you know how it is when you’re a teenager). Originally it was just my Instagram handle but it’s become a part of me. It’s not the worst in the world of usernames, so I feel like I really lucked out there.

freelance collaboration illustration
by wildanya
It’s been quite a journey. Sometimes it’s hard to be a freelancer, but I truly can’t believe that I get to do this for a living!
- wildanya
Tell us about your foray into design.

I went to university to study linguistics but quickly decided I wanted to pursue graphic design as a career. So, for the most of those 4 academic years I was teaching myself Photoshop on YouTube instead of translating Old English.

At university I designed posters for different events, and that’s when I discovered the importance of visual communication. Graphic design and I have been inseparable ever since. I never notice time pass when I’m on my laptop illustrating, and I’m always so excited to see my visions come to life. It gives me a sense of fulfillment like nothing else.

 

illustration by wildanya
by wildanya
Your unique style really lends itself to the report. Can you talk about how it’s developed over the years?

I like to think that my illustrations are bold and a bit quirky—my style evolves with each project, whether it’s personal work or for a client.

I always try to make it fun for me and for the viewer, and I tend to use color palettes that feel like they could produce serotonin if they tried hard enough. My hope is that whenever someone stumbles upon my illustrations, it makes their day a little better.

How did your approach to designing the layout differ from the key visuals?

It was a bit overwhelming at first! When I first talked to Steven (Sr. Art Director at 99designs), he suggested I tackle the illustrations first and then the layout. It really helped me fully commit to both tasks.

character illustration by wildanya
by wildanya
character illustration of freelancer superhero
by wildanya

Before I started I did a great deal of research. I had a folder with examples of solutions to visual problems, and things I felt suited the aesthetic I was going for.

It was a bit of a challenge to get to where we wanted to be, but I’m glad it wasn’t easy because it pushed me as a creative.

What conceptual decisions did you make to really elevate the content?

The report is all about freelance creatives, so I wanted them to be the center of attention. My goal was to humanize concepts so designers could see them and go, “that’s me!”. I pulled a lot of inspiration from my daily grind as an illustrator working from home.

Do you have tips for designers on how to keep things interesting in a text-heavy layout?

Designing the layout almost felt mathematic. I had to consider so much at the same time. Something that became essential to my process was making a rough draft and mapping out what I wanted to put on each page. It gave my work structure, and made things go faster.

 

I love to browse at a book shop, visit a new coffee place or just go for a walk and take in my surroundings. I find that inspiration comes from the simplest experiences, so I always try to be ready to accept it.
- wildanya
Where’s the first place you go for design inspiration?

My main source of inspiration is the amazing online community of designers, illustrators and other creatives. I love Dribbble for illustration and Behance for graphic design. I also spend a lot of time on Instagram, but I’m very careful to curate my experience there so I can pull as much inspiration as possible.

character illustration by wildanya
by wildanya
Let’s talk online portfolios. How do you choose what to feature and where?

My favorite platforms are Dribbble and Instagram, simply because there are more opportunities for feedback and exposure. I don’t feel like my art has to be polished or perfect to find its audience. It took me a while to get over the fear of people judging me or my work, but I’ve realized that people like to see the process as much as they do the finished product.

I also love that the communities are incredibly supportive and encouraging. The positivity definitely keeps you going.

In the spirit of global community, want to give a shout out to three creatives the world should know?

Eugenia Mello is one of my favorite illustrators at the moment. The way she works with colors, shapes and textures is superhuman. Kati Szilagyi is another artist I enjoy because of her smart concepts. Also, I love how playful Justyna Stasik’s art is! It’s so full of joy and always puts me in a good mood.

Can't get enough wildanya?
Hire her for your next project.

The post Mapping out “The Future of Freelancing” with wildanya appeared first on 99designs.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

8 inspiring logo design trends for 2020

It’s the dawn of a new decade, and new trends are already in the spotlight. The up-and-coming 2020 logo design trends are a mashup of old and new. We’ll see a ton of throwbacks to different eras: the chrome and neon 80s juxtaposed against inky, black-and-white images that feel right out of the 30s. Right next to them, we’ve got logos tailor-made for today with 3D gradients and complex animations.

The logo design trends for 2020 will continue to build on everything designers have been exploring in the last few years, while also taking design in directions that are totally new, totally fresh, totally right for an all-new decade. Let’s take a look at the top logo design trends that are already defining 2020!

Here are the top 8 logo design trends you’ll see in 2020:

  1. 3D gradients
  2. 80s throwback logo designs
  3. Raw & imperfect logos
  4. Logos that reveal their geometric composition
  5. Vintage 1930s cartoon logos
  6. Multi-layered & overlapping logos
  7. Complex animations with elaborate details
  8. Daring typography

1. 3D gradients

In 2020, you’ll see the popular gradient trend evolve and merge with the 3D trend—a perfect fit for our smartphone society.

Gradients are a great way to turn any group of colors into a dynamic spectrum of color that feels like it has life and energy. This year, designers will give rise to the newest evolution of gradients creating depth and 3D effects in logos. Especially tapered gradients—ones that come to a central point and actually emphasize the contrast between their colors—are poised to rock 2020 logo design trends.

logo trend: Geometric shapes with tapered gradients
Design by artsigma
I think the use of tapered gradients will be used a lot over the next few years. It allows to turn simple projects into more sophisticated designs.
- Designer artsigma

3D gradient logos can be tough in print, but they’re perfect for screens. That’s why they’re super popular with brands that don’t need to worry too much (or even at all) about how their logos look in print.

Logo design trends example: 3D gradient logoLogo design trends example: 3D gradient logoLogo design trends example: 3D gradient logoLogo design trends example: 3D gradient logoLogo design trends example: 3D gradient logoLogo design trends example: 3D gradient logo
Gradients are all about playing with the colors, combining them to create surprising results, for a simple and very modern appearance.
- Designer Eva Hilla

Expect to see designers explore the full potential of gradients this year, using them to create captivating 3D effects, shadows and depth like we’ve never seen before.

2. 80s throwback logo designs

Enough time has finally passed for all things 80s to be cool again: video games, pop music, and the attitude that came with them. In 2020, expect to see a resurgence of 80s throwback logos with a lot of chrome, a lot of neon and a lot of pixels. Plus, we’ll get a lot of nods to the old-school tech that preceded the glowing pocket rectangles our eyes are glued to today.

There is a lot of demand for the aesthetics of the 1980s. The heritage of the 80s lives on because people are collecting and consuming vinyl, cassette tapes, video game consoles, vintage computers, arcade machines and pinball machines again.
- designer Bo_rad
Logo design trends example: Animated logo reminiscent of a flickering neon lightLogo design trends example: Image of an arcade cabinet in neon pink, neon blue and dark purpleLogo design trends example: Pixelated image of a ninja running with textLogo design trends example: Pixelated image of a beer mug

Throwback logos are popular because they capitalize on consumers’ nostalgia. Old-school 80s tech is officially old enough to be retro, cool and most importantly, collectible. As people build up their cassette collections again and clear space in their living rooms for vintage arcade cabinets, logos are getting in on the fun, too.

Some logos reference nostalgic 80s items, like the Joystick logo below. Others play with this trend by incorporating 80s typography and design trends, like GV’s logo for LI Mowz.

Logo design trends example: neon sign inspired 80s logo design
A neon sign inspired logo design by bo_rad
Logo design trends example: 80s inspired logo with skylineLogo design trends example: Chrome and neon wordmark logo against a night sky background

3. Raw & imperfect logos

Right next to digitally designed gradient and 3D logos, we’ve got logos that are proudly hand-drawn. These logos celebrate the “wabi sabi” that comes with drawing and writing. They reject the sleek, perfect look made possible with design programs and take us back into sketchbooks where there’s asymmetry, uneven lines and shading techniques like cross-hatching and contour shading.

Just like other 2020 logo trends, raw, imperfect logos have been on the rise for a while. This year, they’re getting grittier and more sketch-like and stamp-like as brands continue to embrace the homegrown, organic look.

Is it surprising that in such a digital world people are looking to connect with something more organic and handmade? Designers are constantly pushing the boundaries and exploring infinite ways to achieve something that hasn’t been done before!
- Designer Mky
Logo design trends example: Logo of a sheep that looks like it was drawn in penLogo design trends example: Ink-drawn-inspired image of an angry-looking bird

With all the digital perfection out there people are craving the raw imperfections of hand-drawn logos. Brands can use the hand-drawn look to show off their authenticity and give their logos the personality their customers want to see.

Henning Bo mimics this visually in the logo for Mutiny Recordings that looks like a rough sketch. Designer anastas uses a scribbly ballpoint pen design to give the sheep in La Pecorella Nera’s logo above a texture you just want to run your fingers across and feel the tiny indents in the paper.

logo trend: raw and imperfect logo
Logo design by Aldo.44
Logo design trends example: Round logo showing a sword, runes and an eyeLogo design trends example: raw, hand-drawn logo design

4. Logos that reveal their geometric composition

One of the emerging logo design trends for 2020 is logos that purposely illustrate how they conform to geometric design principles. Concepts like sacred geometry and the golden ratio have helped us understand the world around us and replicate it in our designs for millennia. When a design works, it’s not always obvious why it works, and the answer could be that it’s built with these design rules in mind.

In 2020, designers aren’t asking us to trust that their designs fit these principles, they’re intentionally showing off their logos’ geometric compositions.

Logo design trends example: abstract bird logo with visible auxiliary linesLogo design trends example: Geometric image of a lionLogo design trends example: Black and white wordmark logo with a reference to the golden ratio in the OLogo design trends example: Geometric logo showing circles, triangles, lips and an eye

These logos let us peak behind the curtain of logo composition and show off their geometric building blocks. They demonstrate how designers rely on basic shapes and guiding lines to get them just right.

The use of circles and lines should always help in the design process.
- Designer artsigma

Some designers use this sketch aesthetic just as a means of presenting their logos to their clients. Others even make them part of the finished logo design. But no matter how you choose to use this geometry trend, the result is sure to be visually satisfying.

Logo design trends example: logo with construction lines showing geometric building blocks
Logo design by Arthean
Logo design trends 2020 example:Minimalist geometric logo with a design grid overlaid across itLogo design trends 2020 example:Multi-colored image of a geometric hummingbird

5. Vintage 1930s cartoon logos

Like the 80s trends above, this is another nostalgic design trend, but with an entirely different style.

In 2020, the 1930’s cartoon look has the potential to rise up with its modern, clean, sleek, two-tone color palette. The vintage, handcrafted, hand-drawn, line-art style will be there, too.
- Designer EARCH

In our fast-moving world where everything is being digitalized, people are looking for the familiar comforts of printed vintage cartoons to keep them grounded. And the simple, expressive and adorable style of the 1930s hits the spot, appealing to designers and brands alike.

Logo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logo
In this modern world of plastic and economic and political instability, people enjoy experiencing a feeling of nostalgia.
- designer crealiza
Logo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logoLogo design trends 2020 example: 1930s cartoon logo
Illustrative logos communicate much more effectively to customers.
- Designer vaneltia

In 2020, expect to see more vintage-inspired, custom-illustrated cartoon logos that connect with viewers on a deeper emotional level.

6. Multi-layered & overlapping logos

In 2020, logos are going deeper than they’ve gone before, through layer after colorful layer. With this trend, designers are pushing past flat and semi-flat design. Shapes and colors will still be simple, but with more layers to play with, designers are creating more complex logos that use highlights, shadows and overlapping colors to communicate even more about their brands.

Logo design trends 2020 example: Circle logo with multiple circles within it, colored to look like a waveLogo design trends 2020 example: Abstract X-shaped logo in blue with multiple colors

Take a look at the Oshen logo by Arthean, for example. The logo consists of multiple small circles set off-center within a larger circle. Layering and shading turns these circles into a wave. The three-dimensional effect of overlapping elements and shadows creates a tactile experience, like you could almost reach out and feel the individual layers.

Layers don’t always have to have color. Designers also use shading and semi-transparent layers to create subtle effects.

Logo design trends 2020 example: layers and shadows
Logo design by Ian Douglas
Logo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logoLogo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logoLogo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logoLogo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logoLogo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logoLogo design trends 2020 example: multi-layered logo

Layers and overlapping elements will be drawing eyes deep into logo designs in 2020.

7. Complex animations with elaborate details

Animated logos are nothing new, but today’s designers are making them more complex, more interesting and overall, more useful for the brands that rely on them. Some of the ways we’re seeing this happen with 2020 logo design trends is the blending of 2D and 3D animation in logos and complex logos with multiple moving parts.

Traditionally, animated logos are simple and to the point, but with new technologies at their disposal designers are pushing the envelope, playing with details and making their animations more elaborate and artistic. These complex logo animations aim to take the viewer on a journey and tell a story.

The logo animation trend is already here, but I expect a real rush of logo animations in 2020. The integration of 2D and 3D could easily become mainstream in motion design.
- Designer zixi
Logo design trends 2020 example: complex 3D logo animation
A complex 3D logo animation by zixi

With lots of details to look at, the viewer looks at these logos longer than they’d look at a more simple logo animation and can potentially find something new they like about it every time they see it again.

Designs containing animated elements will be huge next year. When you have an element strategically designed to move, it will naturally grab the user’s attention. Plus, it’s super fun.
- Designer ananana14

The move toward more complex animated logos comes from a similar place as the tapered gradient logos trend: when you’re designing for screens, there’s a whole lot more you can do than when you’re designing for print. One of those things is detailed animation.

Logo design trends 2020 example: complex logo animation
Logo animation by Konstantin Kostenko
Logo design trends 2020 example: complex logo animationLogo design trends 2020 example: complex logo animationLogo design trends 2020 example: complex logo animation

You’ll also see a ton of animated logos that have different versions for all the places they’re used, and that trend isn’t going to stop anytime soon. In fact, it’s just getting more popular in 2020 because as brands have more places to put their logos online and off, the more challenges they face of making a logo work on multiple platforms.

8. Daring typography

In 2020, we’re going to see a lot of logos that elevate text from just the words that support the image to the focal point themselves. Expect to see logos with funky, daring fonts that have personalities as vivid as the brands they represent.

Weird typography in logotypes is a big trend. There’s a great demand for these types of fonts nowadays because of the need to show the character of a brand and make it unique.
- Designer goopanic
Logo design trends 2020 example: Abstract wordmark logo
There are lots of ways to make a font weird, like playing with letter sizes and positions. Logo design by goopanic.

Goopanic described 2020’s personality-driven typography as “weird,” but you could also call it funky, crazy or daring. Think of it as typography that has a mind of its own. Instead of picking from a list of the same old standard fonts according to a client’s brand identity, logo designers are creating typefaces that are extraordinarily different from any fonts we’ve seen before.

Logo design trends 2020 example: Red slashy font that reads “Joker”
Turn your head slightly and you’ll see the J in “Joker” is a smile. Logo design by finalidea.
Logo design trends 2020 example: Tightly packed impact font wordmark logoLogo design trends 2020 example: Brown logo with a simple image of a cakeLogo design trends 2020 example: Red, brush-style hand-letteringLogo design trends 2020 example: unique daring logo typographyLogo design trends 2020 example: logo with font in cat shapeLogo design trends 2020 example: unique hand-made font wordmark

There are lots of ways to play with typography, like distressing, inverting or mirroring. Even scattering the letters so the words don’t read linearly. Or using a font that looks like something else, like scales on a fish’s belly or pawprints in the snow. There isn’t one “right” way to do a funky font logo; the only thing to get right is to make sure it’s legible.

Ready for the top logo design trends of 2020?

New decade, new design trends. These logo trends are the ones that are kicking off a brand new era of design. Only time will tell where they all fall. And we can’t wait to see how they’ll all be used, subverted and reimagined in 2020 and beyond!

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