The evolution of Logos

Introduction

What we conceive of as logo design—simple, recognizable visuals that symbolize distinct brands—is frequently thought to be a relatively new phenomenon. Humans, on the other hand, have been using emblems and signature marks to identify and distinguish themselves for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Indeed, much of the symbolic design work done throughout recorded history has been focused on graphically communicating identity.

The history of the logo designs can trace back to the time of middle ages. In this article, we are going to mention the significant changes in the logo designing throughout the years.

Ancient logos

From coins to seals, identifying images have appeared on everything. Cattle marks have been used since Ancient Egypt and are still used to identify herds today. By the 13th century, the cypher had expanded to encompass organizations and traders, making it easier to track down where things originated.

The Medieval coat of arms served as a personal insignia for a family, reflecting their heritage. Merchants and craftspeople used their own identifying marks in the Middle Ages. Printer's marks were used to identify different printing enterprises in the 15th century.

During the mid-eighteenth century Industrial Revolution in the United States, logos became common. The manufacturing of mass-produced items became rapid and Despite the fact that these emblems were not associated with personal craftsmanship as they had been in the past, they came to represent the uniformity and trustworthiness that was gaining favor at the time.

In the 19th century, the arts and craft became popular and the market place became flooded with handmade designs and logos. Many of today's most recognizable logos were already in the works at the time. The Coca-Cola logo first appeared in 1886, followed by Pepsi-Cola in 1898. In 1900, the first Renault medallion appeared, as did the first oyster used for Shell.

The monochrome logos in 1800’s

The logo as a concept was still not so popular in the 1800s. The designs were still monochromatic to make them easy to copy. This was, of course, due to technological limitations at the time – due to the fact that the chromolithography printing method, utilized to generate color prints, wasn't patented until 1837. By the turn of the century, the method had become more popular for advertisements, but it was still not extensively utilized for ordinary printed items.

Despite their simplicity in terms of color, logos of the period were surprisingly complex in terms of overall design. Animals were the most popular theme in these logos, and they were frequently represented. The 1800’s were truly a revolutionary time for logo designing, but the progress was still slow.

The glory of the 1900s

1930’s - By the time of 1930’s, most of the famous and worldwide popular brands that we see today had gotten the edge on the logo design and marketing. The initial logos of Pepsi Cola and Coca-Cola were surprisingly similar to one another (ironic that now these two are the biggest nemesis). The 1900’s were the time when colored logos started to appear, although monochrome logos were also ruling the market side by side. During this time, the BMW included its trademark blue and white colors to its logo.

1940’s - The 1940’s was the decade of color filled logos. Many previously black and white brands upgraded their logos with beautiful colors that we see today, for instance ‘Shell’. These colored logos were designed with psychology in mind. The colors of the Shell emblem are red and yellow, which are the national colors of Spain. Because many Californians were born in Spain, this color provided a subtle emotional connection to customers visiting the company's first service stations in the state.

1950’s - During the 1950’s, many brands opted for making their logos sleeker and upgraded. Pepsi-Cola changed its design from red and white to a bottle cap logo with the red, white, and blue stripes that have become its trademark.

1960’s to 1970’s - It wasn’t until the 1964, when the first ever logo design company ‘Chermayeff & Geismar’ surfaced. This was also the time when colored televisions became popular. Pepsi, Coca-Cola and Pringles promoted their colorful version of logos through colored televisions.

The Shell logo took on a shape that is roughly identical to what we see now in 1971. It featured a stylized rendition of a shell, rather than the detailed realistic shells exhibited in previous years, with a bolder outline and more simplified shape.

1980’s to 1990’s - In the 1980s, home computers were just getting started, and logos from the time period reflected the new medium of the day. Following that, many logos from this decade had a modern, tech-friendly style. Both Adobe and Microsoft used large, rounded letters in their typography. Some shape and color trends from the 80s were carried over into the 90s. Apple dropped their rainbow logo and opted for a simple black design in 1998.

2000’s to now - Logos became simpler as they prepared for the impending mobile revolution, with fewer gradients and less detail. The main purpose was to achieve lightning-fast recognition. McDonald's changed its logo to merely the golden arches in 2006.

Apple also gave away its black silhouette to a silver design logo. Nike and Shell also ditched fonts in their logos. Google simplified its fonts, but retained the rainbow colors.

Endnote

The necessity of having a distinctive, up-to-date logo that resonates with both your audience and the present times is highlighted by these developments.