In the world of branding, logos serve as a business or brand’s visual representation of its identity, personality, message, or values.
While some brands prefer a detailed illustration or a recognizable icon to convey their message, others embrace a simple yet compelling storytelling through an abstract logo.
Abstract logos are popular among top brands due to their powerful impact even with their minimalistic style. Today, we’ll dig deeper into this design trend, plus teach you how to create one for your business – all with the help of our beginner-friendly logo maker tool.
Let’s get started!
What Is An Abstract Logo?
An abstract logo is one that uses a symbol, pattern, shape, or image that isn’t literal or instantly recognizable but is meant to convey your brand’s identity in a conceptual way.
A great example is the iconic Nike “swoosh”. It’s meant to mimic the feeling of speed and movement. But at the same time, it’s meant to represent passion, power, and determination – which are the values that the sportswear brand stands for.
Another example is the logo of Pepsi. The typical way to create a logo for a soft drink brand is to use a soda bottle, cup, or perhaps a fruit. But Pepsi decided to go for their iconic red and blue abstract circle, which symbolizes two things – 1) a smiling face to show the happiness you’ll get from the drink and 2) a globe to show their worldwide appeal.
Not every abstract logo is composed of patterns or abstract shapes. You can still incorporate recognizable illustrations, drawings, and icons, but have the message not so literal.
You can see this in Nestle’s logo. It shows a bird nest, with a mother bird tending to her little children. And no, Nestle is not a pet store! Instead, they use the bird’s nest to convey the feeling of warmth, care, and compassion. It’s also a conceptual way to show feeding, which is apt for a brand that focuses on food and drink products.
Why Use An Abstract Logo
Using an abstract logo has many benefits, including:
They are creative
Abstract logos are compelling because they are creative and unexpected. They go against the flow, as they use complex shapes or symbolism that may not be obvious at first glance, but have a deeper meaning when you dig deep.
They are unique
Since you are creating a custom shape or pattern for your logo, there is little to no chance of having your logo look the same as another.
They help you standout
Imagine that you have a travel app. Instead of using the typical hotel, airplane, or beach/mountain design, you use an abstract logo instead. That instantly makes you stand out from the crowd, and makes you easier to remember for people.
You can see this in the AirBnb logo. They use a soft geometric pattern that is loaded with symbolism for their design. It makes them rise above other travel and accommodation companies.
They are flexible
Abstract logos tend to be simpler in design, which makes it easier to adapt to different mediums and platforms. The design will still look good whether it’s on a small app icon or blown up in a huge billboard.
They are timeless
Abstract logos are steeped with minimalistic design principles. It means that they favor simple, classic, and timeless elements that never go out of style. Abstract logos can still look fresh even with the everchanging fads and trends that may come and go. You won’t have to worry about rebranding with this one!
They capture your brand’s essence
Creating an abstract shape or symbol that is perfectly tailored to your brand’s message or identity means that you create a logo that is incredibly suitable to you. This way, you don’t have to rely on existing shapes or objects to accurately represent your brand.
How To Create An Abstract Logo
Convinced with the power of this logo trend? Let’s get to designing yours. Follow the tips below:
Play around with shapes or patterns
Random shapes, fluid patterns, geometric lines – all of these can form a unique symbolism for your brand.
Brainstorm, create some mood boards, and do multiple sketches first before committing to a design. Try to go outside the box and be more experimental with your logo.
Experiment with negative space
A negative space logo is where the empty space between your design elements forms an additional element or shows a hidden meaning.
You can see this in play with the FedEx logo, with the space between E and X forming an arrow. Or in the NBC logo where the space between the colorful shapes shows a hidden peacock design.
Negative space is a good way to form a unique abstract shape while still maintaining a minimalist logo appeal. Try to see if you can come up with this clever optical illusion.
Match your color scheme
Since abstract logos tend to be simple and have fewer design elements, the color scheme that you’ll use is even more important. This is because you can use color to make your logo pop even more or have your message come across more easily.
You can do this by utilizing color psychology. It says that the color that you use can affect your audience’s perception of your brand. Red signifies power and boldness, blue is seen as stable and calm, while green is mainly associated with either nature or health. And so on.
You can also follow color theory. It’s the graphic design principle where you use colors that are either analogous, complementary, or monochromatic to create a visually harmonious and appealing design.
Use suitable typography
While your icon or shape is the focal point of your design, you can still use your typography to complement your logo.
Just as with your color scheme, you should use your typography to enhance your message. Choose one that fits your brand identity.
For example, are you going for a chic black and white geometric logo? Then a sophisticated serif font will work well for you.
How about a bubbly, rounded shape that uses a bright blue color scheme? Then a rounded modern sans-serif font can match the vibe that you are looking for.
Design Your Abstract Logo Today!
And that’s a wrap! We hope you enjoyed our exploration of this abstract design trend.
If you want to create your own logo, just follow the tips above and we’ll sure you can create an eye-catching design. You can also head on to our logo maker tool to make your design process easier as you can use our customizable templates as a starting point.
You can also hire a designer from our talented community of freelance designers for a more expert touch for your logo.
Once you’re done with your logo, the next step is to promote your brand. We also have customizable templates back in BrandCrowd to help you out. Harness the power of social media with our Instagram Story maker and TikTok Video maker to create a fun buzz around your business. And if you have a more corporate setup, you can make your business look more professional with our handy email signature maker.
If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. Till next time!
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Written by DesignCrowd on Tuesday, March 26, 2024
DesignCrowd is an online marketplace providing logo, website, print and graphic design services by providing access to freelance graphic designers and design studios around the world.