All companies, like people, evolve as they grow. Perhaps, you’ve learned things along the way, or your mission has changed a bit – maybe your target audience has shifted or you’ve expanded towards new things. Whatever the case may be, it’s likely where you are now is not where you started. And if your logo was made way back when, it may not really represent you anymore.
This is when most companies go for a logo redesign. They take the original, and change it to better fit who their company is now. But updating your logo can be complicated – how do you switch things up enough, but not too much? How do you make sure you’re not alienating your audience and that they’ll still know who you are? It can be tricky.
But before you delve into all those specifics, the simple question of “Is it time to update my logo?” can prove a challenging one. It’s not just your company evolving that may warrant a logo redesign. Changes in your industry, in technology, and in your environment should lead to an update in your logo. So, if you don’t know when you should change your logo – we’re here to help you figure it out, with 5 different times you should switch things up.
It’s a new era
You’ve had a million meetings. You’ve sat down and decided that the company is making major changes. You’re rolling out something new, switching to a new direction, and changing things up.
If your entire company is making a big change, your logo should be a part of it. Why? Because your logo represents your brand, and if your brand is not going to be the same anymore, neither should your design.
So, if you’re ready to make a huge change, don’t leave your logo in the past – bring it along.
Times are Changing
To be honest, it’s not always your company that needs to change for your logo to need an update. Sometimes, it’s everything else.
It’s common that the years will pass and what seemed really stylish at one point, no longer is, like rhinestones or poking your friends on Facebook. The same applies for logos: trends may be temporary. For example, at some point the effect below was almost a must-have. It looked cool and fancy.[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”3350″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]But now? It just looks outdated and, arguably, a little bit trashy.
If you notice that the context has changed, and your logo no longer sends the right message, it might be time to consider a logo redesign.
Our advice? When you do get an update, you should probably avoid falling into the same trap again. Be cautious with trends: they may be more temporary than they seem. If you’re interested, read our advice on how to navigate the current design trends. But at the end of the day, if possible, a timeless logo, like Coca-Cola’s design, might be a more efficient choice.
It just doesn’t work anymore…
In some cases, it’s not that the logo doesn’t look good, or that the brand has outgrown the design, it’s that the functions a logo has to perform have changed. Allow me to explain.
Years ago, a logo would be stamped on trucks and products. Nowadays, a logo plays many more roles. It has to work on screens, large and small. It may be on TV, on cell phones, and all over social media. This change means designs have different requirements, to work in different environments.
For example, a design with a lot of detail may end up looking blurred or too busy when it’s a small icon on social media, or a tiny part of someone’s phone screen. The technology influences the way the logo should look.
This means that if your logo was made before all of these necessities appeared, your logo may need some modification to work in a newer environment.
What are they up to?
In terms of the company’s environment, one main influencer is going to be your competitors. Any change your competitors make is likely to change your position with in the market and influence how you carry out business.
So, say your main competitor has updated their logo, they’ve gone through a whole new marketing campaign to get the design out there and get your customers to switch over to them. What does this mean for you?
This means you probably need to reevaluate the industry you’re in and what’s going on. The reasoning behind their change may be a valuable reason for your own logo redesign.
Keep one eye on your competitors so as to predict any big changes in the market, and beat them to it, or so as to reclaim the upper hand.
Also, note that if they change their design, it may change the context of your own look. Maybe, they’ve chosen a design that makes yours more difficult to notice. This would be important to consider when deciding whether to update or not.
Evolved? Time for a Logo Redesign
The years have passed, and your company has matured. Slowly, but surely, it’s taken new approaches than it did at the very beginning. Your target audience has, over time, slightly shifted, as has your manner of speaking to them.
This is the typical cause associated with a logo update. And it’s clear why: the changes need to be reflected in your design. Once again, your logo represents you, so if you’ve changed, so should the design. It’s as simple as that.
Should I update my logo?
At the end of the day, updating your logo is a personal decision, and it’s different for each brand. So, sit down and every now and then, consider whether or not it’s time for a change.
And don’t put it off just because you’re afraid of blowing your budget. We get it, it can be expensive to get a new quality logo, and the whole process may seem intimidating.
But, again, it’s a whole new world. Thanks to websites like DesignBro, you can get a quality design at an accessible price. DesignBro is filled with experienced and hand-picked designers from all over the world, that will handle your brief and give you a quality design before you know it. And the price? Only $199 for a logo! Start your project today, and get an updated look before you know it.
Besides having grown up in the design Industry, Christiaan has advised some of the world’s largest companies on their branding & packaging designs. Has been the resident judge for design awards, and has spoken at numerous global design & marketing events. Christiaan founded the London office of the award-winning Cartils agency, and has founded the DesignBro.com platform.
