Trends are always changing, so is design. In logo design you can see the evolution of design very clear. Think about how the Adidas, the Apple, the Nike, and the Starbucks logo changed over time. These logos were re-imagined many times to keep up with modern trends.
The future is not guaranteed
You can imagine but you can’t reliably predict the future ten years from now, no one can. If you design a logo, you should analyse past trends, identify modern trends, and envision future trends, but you can never guarantee a future trend developing.
Even great logos like the Nike logo have a history – famouslogos.net has published a great article about it.
In 1971 the foundation was created, but only seven years later, the logo was re-designed, only to be re-designed again another seven years later. The final version – the “Nike Solo Swoosh” – became the logo in 1995.
Logo design needs a good foundation
The Nike logo shows us that even the best logos in history couldn’t keep up with time. But what it also shows: A good logo foundation can be future proof.
Even though the Nike logo was changed four times within only 50 years, it still uses the same foundation the original logo from 1971 established. The Nike Swoosh is 50 years old and it is still THE example for great logo design.
When we design logos, we need to think about establishing a great foundation that can potentially become timeless. After we’ve found such a foundation, we can add modern-day trends and styles. These might be altered, changed, omitted, or expanded in the future, but the foundation should be good enough to pass the test of time.
Another example for a logo progressing over time but keeping its foundation is the Starbucks logo:
