The logo: then and now
A logo has the potential to be a very powerful asset for a brand. Many companies are identified by their
logo faster than they are by their name, highlighting our continuing shift from text-based to image-
based content. Logos are all around us and well-known ones are easily recognizable by almost everyone.
But where did the logo originate? And how has it evolved over time?. Join us in this article as we discuss
The History of the Logo.
The History of the Logo
The origins of the logo can be dated as far back as the Ancient Egyptians. They used hieroglyphics to
brand and identify their possessions, until in medieval times when graphic imagery such as coats of arms
was used to distinguish between the statuses of different nobilities.
The current era of logo design began in the 1870s with the first abstract logo, the Bass red triangle.
Thanks to the introduction of color printing and the advertising industry, logos became essential for
brands if they wanted to be memorable to potential and existing customers.
The History of the Logo
The Chase logo, which was crafted in 1960 by Chermayeff & Geismar, paved the way for modern logo
design. The successful logos we have today predominantly consist of simple and easily recognizable logo
marks that are effective in remaining consistent with their corresponding brands.
The History of the Logo
Logo Designer Paul Rand
The most notable designer of modern logos is Paul Rand, who designed logos for the likes of IBM, ABC,
Cummins Engine, Westinghouse, and UPS, among many others. Louis Danziger, a prominent late
modern graphic designer, described him as the designer who
“almost single handedly convinced business that design was an effective tool […] Anyone designing in
the 1950s and 1960s owed much to Rand, who largely made it possible for us to work. He more than
anyone else made the profession reputable. We went from being commercial artists to being graphic
designers largely on his merits.”
The evolution of the logo
Logos today are very different from the logos that have gone before. With the gradual changes in
cultures, trends, and consumer behaviors, logos have had to adapt over time. Technological
advancements are also causing the role of logos in our culture to evolve. We can see how logo design
has changed in its shift from complexity to simplicity reflected in the visual overload we have
experienced as a result of our increasingly complex lifestyles.
A logo designer’s opinion
I recently spoke with Simon Charwey, a logo designer, and asked him if he also believes the role of logos
is changing:
“Logos for brands will continue to evolve as customers’ buying decisions continue to evolve. It’s true
that a logo doesn’t sell (directly); however, the worst it can do is sell a brand short.”
But with the abundance of logos out there today, has the industry reached saturation point in its
creative capacity? Charwey doesn’t believe this to be so:
“It’s important to see this ‘challenge’ and work on coming up with novel ways of designing logos that
encourage uniqueness and less repetition.”
Designing an effective logo
A logo has to have meaning because it embodies the essence of a brand, and as long as the logo
resonates with consumers, so will its meaning. The goal of designing an effective logo should be to
create a unique and simple logo mark that is both distinguishable and easily recognizable. Today, a good
logo is flexible in both its design and application and can ideally stand alone. The simpler the logo, the
more easily recognizable it is in the modern world.
Apple Logo Evolution - It all Strated With a Fruit
Taking the Apple logo as an example: it didn’t start out as the simple and distinctive logo we have today.
This is because the design of the rainbow Apple logo was flexible enough that it could be altered to
complement whatever trend was contemporary at any given time. It also doesn’t need to be
accompanied by the brand’s name “Apple”, allowing it to stand independently of the text. As Paul Rand
states:
“A logo cannot survive unless it is designed with the utmost simplicity and restraint.”
The Visual Age
As we are living in the Visual Age, images and video are becoming more and more important to a
consumer’s online or social media experience. This could be down to a number of factors, such as
increasingly busy lifestyles or a change in social media content consumption. If “a picture paints a
thousand words”, we can see how a logo holds its meaning. An image of a logo can say a lot more than
the actual words of a brand’s name because of how quickly visuals resonate with consumers today.
Logo vs Brand
While the purpose of a logo is to communicate, the purpose of a brand is to identify. A logo might just
be a symbol of what it represents, but it also adds meaning to a brand as it symbolizes that brand’s
values. If we look at the Apple logo again, we would have no emotional reaction to it if we saw it prior to
the company’s existence. So today, while a logo might hold more power than the name of the brand it
represents, it is still first and foremost a visual representation or symbol of that brand’s identity.
“A logo derives meaning from the quality of the thing it symbolizes, not the other way around.” – Paul
Rand
The future of logos and Visual Listening
Knowing all of this, can we now determine, or even predict, how logos will continue to evolve further?
With the relatively recent introduction of image recognition technology and logo detection, some may
believe that logos must be able to adapt in order to make them detectable. However, with the best
quality technology, it shouldn’t matter how distinctive a logo’s design is. Brands should invest in Social
Media Monitoring software that provides excellent quality Visual Listening tools for logos if they want to
fully benefit from the insights supplied by their analytics. To learn more about logo detection and how
brands can benefit from Visual Listening, check out LogoGrab
I hope you have enjoyed reading about The History of the Logo, and be sure to leave your comments
below as we love to hear from you the reader.
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Author Bio
Anna is the Content Marketing Executive at LogoGrab. An avid lover of film, TV, and writing, she believes
embracing the Visual Age is the best way to adapt to the constantly evolving digital landscape.
Also published on Medium.
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The history of logos
Logo & branding
What we think of as logo design—simple, iconic images that represent individual brands—is often
considered a modern phenomenon. But humans have been identifying and differentiating themselves
using emblems and signature marks for hundreds, even thousands of years. In fact, much of the
symbolic design work throughout recorded history is all about communicating identity visually.
The history of logos goes back to ancient family crests, hieroglyphs and symbolism. Early versions of
logos developed in the Middle Ages (around 1300 AD), as shops and pubs used signage to represent
what they did. The first modern logo designs were created in the early 1900s, evolving alongside mass
printing.
Read on for a quick guided tour through the history of logo design, that will highlight the historical
connections, and help anyone hoping to design a logo to create something more powerful and effective.
Ancient foundations of symbolism in graphic arts
ancient pottery
the white nefer-sign, black neb-sign and the wedjat-eye can be read as “all good and healthy things”. Via
Guity Novin.
Between 70,000 BC and 7000 BC, primitive peoples from all over the world laid the foundations of the
graphic arts by painting animals in caves. Around 8000 BC, people in Assyria, Egypt, Carthage, Persia,
Media and Sumer created pottery that communicated aesthetic, ethical, cultural, socio-political and
religious information.
Even in these distant, primitive stretches of history, people and cultures were representing themselves
and their ideas with symbols and illustrations. Nowhere was that more apparent than in Ancient Egypt,
starting around the fourth millennium BC. Not only did the Egyptians develop hieroglyphics, a formal
writing system, where images represented words or sounds, but they were also prolific artists. Their
paintings and sculpture included specific symbolic images and colors that held specific meanings.
egyptian grid design
Ancient Egyptians used a grid system in their design, much like many logo designers do today. Via the
Houston Museum of Natural Science.
Between 2125 and 1991 BC, grids appeared in Egyptian designs. This development is essential to logo
design, because it ensures that artists effectively maintain proportions and ratios—and guarantees a
uniform reproduction of the same design.
Not to say that the Egyptians had a monopoly on using images symbolically. During the same timeframe,
the roots of calligraphy in the form of characters developed in China. Here each word or idea had its
own symbol, and this foundation influenced later languages, even those that were less visual (like
English).
Logo’s illiterate legacy
Jumping forward in time, and looking to medieval Europe, we see two distinct visual languages appear:
heraldic crests and symbolic signage.
15th century german coats of arms
15th century German coats of arms. Via Wikipedia.
Heraldry is a system of assigning design elements societal meaning and status. A certain set of colors
and shapes would represent a certain noble family. This set of imagery was combined to create a unique
coat of arms. Sound familiar?
Though the original purpose was a little different—identifying the friendly vs. enemy army while at war
—the result was the same. Design elements took on meaning and helped people identify their favorite
“brands.”
Outside of the aristocracy, most of the population was illiterate. In the High Middle Ages (900 – 1300
AD), the population started to grow, leading more and more people to move to cities. Society moved
away from self-sustaining agrarian ways of life to more specialized and diversified trade. This meant
more commodification as people couldn’t make everything they needed. Shops started hanging up signs
to identify what goods or services they provided—think striped barber shop poles and crosses
representing pharmacies.
green dragon pub sign
The Green Dragon Pub sign. Via Pinterest.
In 1389, King Richard II of England passed a law requiring establishments that brewed beer to hang a
sign indicating what they did (or risk having their ale confiscated). (This was actually a safety measure
since drinking water wasn’t always good at the time.) This led to businesses differentiating themselves
by adding heraldic images to their signs. One pub would become The Green Dragon, another the Two
Cocks. And these images turned to names, allowing patrons to develop a sense of brand loyalty to their
favorite brewer.
While the images themselves weren’t as specific as we see with current logos (as in, a green dragon was
a green dragon even if it wasn’t replicated exactly the same each time), you can see how history is
progressing…
Paper and textile technologies further fuel development of logos
By 105 AD a paper making industry had begun in China. It extended into Japan by about 610 AD. By
contrast, it was not until about 1276 AD that paper was first made in Italy after being imported by Arab
traders into Europe. It was eventually made in England in about 1495 AD.
printer's marks
Printers’ marks from the 15th century. Via Smashing Magazine
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440, which caused the production of printed
materials to become far more common, setting the stage for modern logo design as authors and printers
of materials sought to claim ownership of their work.
By the late 15th century, various printers were using logos to identify their works.
early bootmaker advertisement
Early American newspaper advertisement. Via The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation.
With printing comes more printed works. In the mid 1600s we saw the first printed newspaper with
regular circulation. These quickly grew in popularity. And you know what funds newspapers?
Advertisements. Print gave businesses new reasons to set themselves apart from their competition; they
didn’t want to pay to advertise any old cobbler, they wanted to advertise their cobbling shop.
Industrialization + advertising = early branding
When thinking of the industrial revolution, the first thing that comes to mind for most people is steam
engines, huge factories and cotton gins. But this wasn’t the only kind of technology that improved in the
nineteenth century.
old printed poster
Chromolithographs via Tim Broadwater.
old printed poster
During the 1800s, mass production of printed materials was enabled by changes in the structure of the
printing press and its new steam-powered design. Chromolithography—which allowed color printing in
mass for the first time ever—came to the US in 1840, and colorful printed labels, advertisements and
posters became a common sight.
Also with the Industrial Revolution came the middle class. For the first time people who weren’t in the
upper echelons of society had disposable income. This lead to an increase in retail and urban centers.
Naturally, as businesses established themselves and grew, branding evolved.
old coca-cola sign
via Book of Days Tales
Frank Mason Robinson designed the Coca-Cola logo in 1885, starting the modern era of logo design. Just
as thirsty commuters today look for a Starbucks logo, around the turn of the century, people coming to
and from work or just out on the town could look for a Coca-Cola logo and stop for a drink. Coca-Cola’s
logo remains among the most recognized brands in the world.
olympic rings
Between 1910 and 1913, commercial logos became a common sight in the US and in Europe. In 1914,
logos stretched past the commercial market when Pierre de Coubertin designed the Olympic flag. This
return to the roots of the logo—which predate most forms of commerce, but went back to tribal
identification and cultural communication—highlighted the fact that logos are not mere commercial
marks, but have deeper cultural significance. For a new generation of consumers, this may have been
one of the first times they found themselves thinking about logos in this communal way.
An era of creative, thoughtful logo design begins
IBM logo by Paul Rand.
In 1956, Paul Rand designed the iconic, pictographic IBM logo featuring a human eye and a bee. Most
logo historians see this as a turning point in the history of logo design.
Whether it was one iconic image or a larger trend, the 1950s marked a paradigm shift in thought
surrounding logos. As companies realized how impactful symbols could be, people began to move away
from simply creating utilitarian logos for identification purposes, and began to put a great deal of
thought into intentionally branding their businesses.
In the early 1960s, various thought leaders on the London graphic design and art director scene, riding
this wave of thoughtful logo design, decided to collaborate to improve the entire field of design more
generally. In 1962, they founded D&AD, Design and Art Direction. The organization stated as its intent
the promotion of excellence in advertising and design. Between 1962 and 1964, Charles Csuri and A.
Michael Noll created some of the first computer art, signaling the coming changes in logo design.
1977 was a banner year for logo design as Milton Glaser designed the classic I heart NY pictogram for a
marketing campaign for the New York State Department of Commerce.
I heart NY
star of life
Also during this year, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) designed and
trademarked the Star of Life logo, the six-pointed blue star with the Rod of Asclepius imposed over it.
(Otherwise known as the logo you see on every ambulance or other EMS vehicle.)
In the later half of the 20th century a logo became a must for businesses. If you wanted customers to
remember you, you had to have one, and it had to be unique, simple and clean.
The digital era brings stylization and adaptability
In the 1970s, computer-generated imagery (CGI) and computer-aided drawing (CAD) technologies were
developed. In the 1990s we saw the popularization of the personal computer. And in the early 2000s,
Adobe developed InDesign and Photoshop, bringing sophisticated digital graphic design tools to the
masses.
MTV logos
Society began to change with the digital era; people began to consume more and more of their media
on screens. Designers and brands began to get creative with their logos. For example, in the 1980s, MTV
came along and took a basic logo and made it constantly change. This dynamism that defined the brand.
As the logo was animated, blew up, crumbled, and otherwise kept changing, it reinforced the
alternative, edgy MTV brand message. Before digital screens, this manipulation wouldn’t have been
possible.
In the early days of the internet, designers tried to help people adapt to the new technology by making
things on screen look like things off screen. This style is known as skeuomorphism. It manifested itself in
gradients, drop shadows, and faux wood and metallic textures meant to bring depth.
generic web 2.0 logo
Created on the Web 2.0 Logo Creatr
The early 2000s saw a slight change with the rise of Web 2.0. While this term broadly refers to a shift in
how websites were developed and the technologies they used, it also became a visual movement. The
Web 2.0 logo became ubiquitous: rounded letters, bright colors and multiple gradients (usually with a
clearly delineated line through the middle of the wordmark).
As the world became more comfortable with digital technologies, it was no longer necessary to mimic a
3D space in a 2D world. Enter: flat design.
bull logo
Financial advisor logo by Chris Kay
spartakus logo
Spartakus logo by MisterAdli
Minimalism and flat design, at first blush, might appear to be a backward step in design. The elements of
these styles dropped stylistic characters like shadows, textures and gradients that seem to make text
and other graphics “lift” away from a computer screen or printed page. But what minimalist logos and
flat logo design really achieve is a crisper, cleaner, more modern feel, and a minimal distraction to the
substance of what’s being communicated.
google logo history
Google updates its logo regularly, but the changes are always slight, making the modern logo but still
immediately identifiable.
And now, flat design is on its way out.
What the 2010s have taught us is that brands need to embrace adaptability in their logos. Gone are the
days of one version of a logo living for 20-30+ years. Even major brands have embraced the fact that to
stay current, they need to regularly update their logos.
Note this doesn’t mean performing a complete overhaul, but rather making subtle stylistic changes to
your logo to keep it current.
A brief history of logos concluded
future logo
Future Food Center logo by Noonmoon Design
Looking at the vast, winding history of logo design is fascinating and useful because it allows us to see
what is informing our design ideas now; however organic they may feel to us, they are steeped in the
meaning of our culture and past.
One of the most exciting things about the history of logo design is that, despite its deep roots and
extensive chronology, so much remains open to interpretation—and it continues to unfold before our
eyes. Our ability to represent ourselves and things that matter to us symbolically will generate countless
additional innovative iterations of our fascinating shared culture and history as we create new symbols
and signs.
Want to learn more about logo design? Check out our article on how to design a logo.
Ready to add your own piece to the logo design history?
A logo design contest can get you dozens of ideas from designers around the world.
THINGS TO BE CONSIDERED IN LOGO DESIGN
1). Understand why you need a logo
2). Define your brand identity
3). Find inspiration for your design
4). Check out the competition
5). Choose your design style
6). Find the right type of logo
7). Pay attention to color
8). Pick the right typography
9). Communicate with your designer
10). Evaluate your logo options
11). What not to do when designing a logo
12). Integrate your logo design into your brand
RECENT TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY IN LOGO DESIGN
01. Adobe Illustrator
02. Canva Logo Maker
03. Tailor Brands Logo Maker
04. Looka
05. Designhill Logo Maker
06. ICONA logo maker
07. Logo Design Studio Pro Online
08. Shopify Hatchful
09. Squarespace Logo Creator
10. Ucraft
