8 expressive logo design trends for 2024

Though tech experts and digitally savvy creatives have long heralded a future powered by artificial intelligence, 2023 was the year generative AI tools like ChatGPT and DALL-E really went mainstream. You might have used them yourself to design an Instagram post or write an email. But what influence did these new tools have on the latest logo design trends? For one, maybe AI made your brands‘?

Whether you’re excited or a bit weirded out by the transformative potential of AI, it’s clear we’re all on the cusp of a technological revolution—one that’s already having an impact in the design world. 

The logo design trends of 2024 come from the creative communities in the thick of this revolution, such as the global community of freelance designers that work with thousands of small businesses every year through our design services, including 99designs by Vista. AI will have a huge effect on their industry, allowing for new voices and forms of experimentation, while (hopefully) underscoring the enduring power of the human imagination. Many designers and brands are responding to this shift with bold, expressive logos, while others are seeking strength and stability in tradition. 

So, if you’re looking for a logo to shepherd your business through a changing world, take inspiration from the strong, striking and expressive logo design trends of 2024.

The top 8 logo design trends for 2024 are:

1. Bold color-blocking
2. Archival inspiration
3. Eco-modern
4. Industrial text
5. Abstract psychedelia
6. Cut-out logos
7. Geometric iconography
8. Solid silhouettes

1. Bold color-blocking

Why shrink back when you can stand out? Generation Z loves anything bold, fearless and individual. (It’s all about that “main character energy,” right?) And, in an effort to appeal to Gen Z’s youthful confidence, designers and brands are coming up with logos that are unapologetically loud, using high-contrast color-blocking, strong lines and 3D imagery.

Color-blocking—or pairing large blocks of contrasting colors against one another—helps these logos stand out, like the brands behind them are excited, even eager, to compete for our attention in an increasingly chaotic and crowded media landscape. 

“The world can be serious and a bit bleak sometimes so it’s great to see more brands adopting a bright, playful aethestic through the use of color and type. Although small businesses should only use this trend if it’s appropraite for their business and audience—not everyone suits the loud and proud approach.”

Imogen Hill, Associate Creative Director, 99designs by Vista

Bold, block-y logo for Fanta. Source: Fanta via Dezeen

Popular with soft drink, travel and snack companies, this trend shows how some brands are moving proudly and joyfully into an increasingly busy, colorful and tech-driven world. They want to uplift and inspire, and they’d really like to bring young consumers along with them.  

In 2023, for example, PepsiCo rebranded 7Up to *up* the ante on the soft drink’s bubbly, energetic messaging. The company went for brighter, almost neon, shades of green and red, as well as a chunky 3D effect, designed to look just as good online as it does in real life.

7Up’s bold, high-contrast rebrand. Source: PepsiCo

2. Archival inspiration

While 7Up’s logo redesigns looked boldly into the future, other brands took inspiration from their past. This year, archive-inspired logos were aimed at highlighting the strength and stability of iconic businesses. They’re proof that you can still have confidence in the classics. 

In February, for example, British brand Burberry unveiled a logo that referenced their 100-year-old equestrian knight motif. (Ironically, the knight happens to be carrying a flag bearing the Latin word, “Prorsum,” meaning “forwards.”) After a few years trying out a sans serif, Millennial-style font, Burberry also went back to a classical serif typeface.  

But you don’t have to go back a century to jump on the trend. This year, Pepsi announced its first rebrand in 14 years, bringing back the all-caps typography and flat, horizontal framing of its 1990s logo design.

Pepsi’s logo now rolling out in 2024. Source: Dezeen

Archival inspiration can be a brand’s way of telling consumers that they’re proud of the aesthetic that made them successful in the first place, even when there’s pressure to experiment with modern styles. Sometimes, it’s edgier to stick with tradition. 

“Modernising doesn’t have to mean abandoning years of history and heritage. Smart rebrands pay homage to their past whilst also looking to the future. Small businesses that are family run or long standing should look to this trend for inspiration, there will often be something iconic in your history which you can lean on to tell your story.”

Imogen Hill, Associate Creative Director, 99designs by Vista

This is a great trend for small or family-run businesses to experiment with, especially if you’ve got a long history or an origin story to tell. Try diving into your own archives for any of the logos or branding you started with: Could you use them in a rebrand? Or you could post them on social media to show your audience how far you’ve come. It’s a fun, wholesome way of sharing the human side to your business—kind of like digging up old (hopefully not-too-embarrassing) family photos. 

3. Eco-modern

If you think any discussion of the sweeping technological changes barrelling our way has to center the climate crisis, eco-modern logos might appeal to you. This environment-focused logo design trend was borne from a desire to reconnect with nature—and a little bit of skepticism about the promise of an AI revolution. 

 “When it comes to design, or life in general, nature has all the answers.”

Saheb Das, Designer at 99designs by Vista

Logo for The Skin Collective. Source: KisaDesign via 99designs by Vista

You’ll see this trend in logos that feature prominent nature motifs, like leaves, flowers or animals. They’re elegant but still modern—proof that nature-inspired design isn’t just for earthy or hippie brands; eco-modern logos can be high-end, futuristic and forward-thinking, too. 

Though they’re often green in color, with organic, moving lines, eco-modern logo designs can also be bold, minimalist and contemporary. 

“After this AI era there will be green. Technologies come and go, but nature is the future.”

Amlan Maity, Designer at 99designs by Vista

Logo for Roma Roma restaurant. Source: Shorttox via 99designs by Vista

4. Industrial text

The industrial text logo design trend is a nod to the transformative power of industry and a reminder of the complex and interconnected supply chains that underpin our world and affect our daily lives. (A few years on from the pandemic, amid a cost-of-living crisis and inflation hikes, we’re all getting pretty familiar with flow-on effects of the international supply chain…)

Robust, confident and even stark, these logos mimic the block monograms and angular shapes found in the software and construction industries. They often contrast black and white tones with bold, vibrant shades of orange, green or blue. 

Logo and brand identity design for a construction company. Source: Mst. Eva via Behance

And you might notice that they look a lot like the staple products of industry—such as simplified computer chips, construction vehicles or even a railyard, like this logo for YardLogix.

Logo design for YardLogix. Source: lins™  via 99designs by Vista

Though popular with construction and tech companies, the industrial text logo trend also works well for any brand that wants a strong, innovative—even brutalist—look and feel, like a woodworking business or sports publication. 

Logo and business card design for Tetiwat Woodwork. Source: Jane Jurairat via Behance

Logo and T-shirt design for Playbook. Source: emretoksan via 99designs by Vista

5. Abstract psychedelia

The logo design world is feeling *groovy, baby,* but in a tech-y, futuristic way. Think of the abstract psychedelia logo design trend as the retro-inspired lava lamp Millennial kids would have had in their bedrooms—a dreamy, trippy hodgepodge of Y2K, nostalgic, sci-fi and psychedelic aesthetics. 

The original Western psychedelic art movement emerged from the tumultuous 60s, so it makes sense that psychedelia appeals to an overstimulated society approaching a technological revolution.

Though we saw this dynamic manifest last year in the popularity of liquid mercury fonts, 2024’s iteration of Y2K psychedelia looks weirder and more otherworldly. In some cases, it’s even a little harder to read (like your logo is melting off the surface of your design and you’d better read it before it slides away completely).

 Logo design. Source: heesoo kim via Behance

Abstract psychedelia logo designs incorporate amorphous, 3D shapes and fonts inspired by the Y2K bubble trend. They’re often shiny, chrome-colored or holographic, and you might see them coupled with 60s and 70s imagery, like flowers, butterflies, stripes and rainbows. 

Logo design. Source: HyperPix via Behance

6. Cut-out logos

New technology often inspires creators to return to the more tangible joy of traditional art forms. (The early 20th century Arts and Crafts movement, for example, was a reaction to what creatives saw as the soulless mass production of everyday objects.)

Though there’s been a lot of hand-wringing about what generative AI tools will do to the graphic design profession, it has inspired some logo designers to celebrate non-digital design methods.

“Exploring and manipulating logo typography is nothing new, but it takes on new significance in the context of a creative landscape being rapidly disrupted by technology. Cut-out letterforms and shapes give digital designs a handcrafted look, making this trend a great way for brands and designers to convey a sense of craftsmanship and individuality. Intentional imperfection is a powerful aesthetic tool, particularly at a time when the intersection of AI and human-powered creativity is still being explored.“

Patrick Llewellyn, VP Digital and Design Services

A logo design for Melt Coffee and Baked Goods. Source: Ekaterina Samokhina and Anvar K. via Behance

The cut-out logo design trend honors handmade aesthetics, even when designs are created using digital tools. It draws on stamping and die-cutting techniques popular with crafters, and can make a logo look wholesome, grounded, fun, artsy and playful.

7. Geometric iconography

Got design-induced decision paralysis? Take it back to basics! 

If you’re a small business overwhelmed by the sheer number of seemingly complex branding decisions (not to mention all the other business-y stuff you have to handle), there’s nothing wrong with doing the obvious: putting your product iconography in the logo. 

“Creating a logo with a simple geometric icon gives a small business an instant toolbox on ways to expand their brand. You could use the simple icon as a pattern on packaging materials, you could blow it up really large on signage, or you can use the icon on its own in smaller spaces like stickers. The possibilities are endless!“

Julie Halloran, Executive Creative Director, VistaPrint

A logo design for Mushry. Source: casign via 99designs by Vista

This logo design keeps things simple, playful and relatable for consumers already bombarded by relentless advertising and overwhelmed by options. It’s the antithesis of logo design trends that are intricate, messy and arcane. 

A logo design for a juice brand. Source: Julie Travkina via Behance

That doesn’t mean these logos are boring. They might distill the product into geometric imagery that’s eye-catching and clever but still easily identifiable. This logo for Moon Village Cheese is a fun, minimalist play on the fact that the ‘O’s in its name can be interpreted as the moon’s surface or a slice of cheese. 

 A logo design for Moon Village Cheese. Source: Irina6 Style via Behance

8. Solid silhouettes

If you want a word-based logo that’s unusual and striking enough to stand on its own, the solid silhouettes logo design trend takes logomarks to a more abstract place.

A logo design concept. Source: EWMDesigns via 99designs by Vista

Designers creating these logos experiment with the negative space made from individual letters, so there’s no hole in the middle of a “b,” for example, or no empty curve in the middle of a “u.” It’s unexpected, and makes you look longer than you might at a more straightforward design. 

The solid silhouette trend allows logo designers to play with traditional letterforms, shifting them into bolder and weightier shapes. These logos are strong and dramatic, and would suit brands that want to convey unshakable self-confidence—maybe a little quirkiness, too. 

“This trend is super fun and very easy to work with. Any font can become a silhouette by filling in negative space of the letters. And it gives the small business something unique without getting too complicated. It’s a great way to make a simple logo with some personality.”

Julie Halloran, Executive Creative Director, VistaPrint

Logos on the verge in 2024

Where do you see your business design fitting into the oncoming digital and artistic revolutions sparked by new technology? Maybe you’re taken with exciting, playful, Gen Z-style color-blocks. Or you see your brand’s messaging echoed in the dark, bold strength of industrial text. 

Small business logos don’t always have to follow the fads, but these logo design trends can help you think of new ways to tell your story, connect with your customers, and make a statement in your industry. We’ve arrived at a creative tipping point—an era for experimentation, self-expression and creative confidence—so now’s the time for your brand logo to showcase its boldest, truest self.