Last Updated on September 6, 2024
This first thing a consumer notices about a company or a brand is their logo. Based on the logo’s design, consumers will make an instinctive decision whether to learn more about the company and what it represents, or to simply avoid it. When it comes to attracting customers and making profits, a logo is a deal breaker and brand recognition is key. And as they say in the design world: The simpler, the better.
Here are 10 inspiring logos proving the effectiveness of minimal design.
EA Games
Electronic Arts Inc., often shortened as EA, is a leading American interactive entertainment software,video game development, and distribution company.
The EA logo has changed several times throughout its history. The current EA logo, derived from the logo used by sub-brand EA Sports, changed in 1999 when Trip Hawkins retired and Larry Prost took over the company.
Ebay
Ebay.com is an online leader in shopping and auctioning. Bill Cleary, a former high school teacher, designed the current version of the eBay logo.
The basic colors of the logo signify entertainment, enthusiasm, and candid energy. The typeface used in it is a slight change of the Univers® font family. Because Cleary perceived the capital B (the official company name capitalizes the B) to look like a roadblock in the center of the logo, he capitalized the letter Y in its place.
Related: The Colorful eBay Logo and the History Behind It
Coca-Cola
Frank Mason Robinson, who was John Pemberton’s bookkeeper, created one of the world’s most popular soft drink brand’s logos in 1885.
Robinson created the name of the company and chose the logo’s distinct (and simple) cursive script. The typeface used, known as Spencerian script, was developed in the mid-19th century and was the popular form of formal handwriting in the United States during that time.
Not only is this considered one of the oldest logos ever made, but it also costed CocaCola zero dollars.
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is a leading Internet services company, providing a range of products and services including mail, news, finance, groups, answers, fantasy sports, etc. Yahoo! hired the Organic, Inc. agency to redesign its logo in 1995. Chief designer Kevin Farnham created the logo being used today.
The typeface used in Yahoo’s logo stems from a T.26 front titled Able. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Yahoo! is an acronym for “Yet Another Hierarchical Officious Oracle.” Who would’ve thought.
FedEx
FedEx is one of the most popular logistics services companies in the world. Lindon Leader created the current logo in 1974. The Rolling Stone Magazine categorized it as one of the eight best logos of the world, which has received more than 40 awards internationally.
The most intriguing aspect of this logo is that it creates an optical illusion. If you look closely between the “E” and “X,” you’ll notice and arrow. The arrow represents speed and accuracy. And because of how simply it’s incorporated into the logo, it’s no wonder it’s one of the best.
Apple
One of the most popular logos of the world, which is seen just about anywhere today, is the famous bitten-into Apple with a leaf titled toward the right side.
Sir Isaac Newton, who introduced the law of gravity after an apple fell to the ground from a tree he was sitting under, was the inspiration for the original logo. The logo is also a tribute to Alan M. Turing, the undisputed father of Computer Science, who committed suicide by eating a poisoned apple.
CNN
CNN, also known as the Cable News Network, was established in 1980. The logo has remained consistent over the years, but its popularity continues to grow in popular culture.
The CNN logo is in a shade of red, which represents the entrepreneurship and omnipresence of the company and its service. The emblazoned initials of “CNN” are joined to offer a composed and calm emotion that serves all races globally. Its simple design makes it the most recognizable company in the American media.
Nike
It’s tough to believe that this iconic logo only cost Nike founders Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight $35. That’s because it was designed by Carolyn Davidson, a graphic design student at Portland State University, who was freelancing at the time (don’t feel too sorry for her, Nike later gave her 500 shares of stock which now amounts to about $600,000).
The original design of this simple logo, also known as the “Swoosh,” has remained intact since its introduction in 1971. If you’re looking for an iconic sports symbol, look no further.
Did you know that Google was initially known as BackRub? That was long before it became the most popular search engine on the Internet. The current Google logo is a typographic logo which uses an old-style serif typeface called Catull, which Gustav Jaeger created for the Berthold foundry in 1982.
What makes Google’s logo unique is its simplicity and flexibility when it comes to adding to it. The updates and changes to it, which usually occur during holidays or special occasions, are known as Google Doodles. The idea, implemented in 1999, incorporated many simple yet interactive concepts such as the ones seen at The Logo Company. There have been more than 1,000 Google Doodles made since.
BBC
BBC, also known as the British Broadcasting Corporation, has a logo that’s confined elegantly in three square boxes, with the letters inscribed in them. The squares of the logo convey the company’s rapid progress in the modern world, while the shape defines its objectives and limitations.
While the black color of the logo represents dignity and power, the bold typeface represents strength and superiority. The logo uses Gill sans font, which allows BBC to project itself in pictorial manifestation.
Oh, and this logo was redesigned in 2007 for a whopping $1.8 million.
Notice any common features of all these logos? That’s right, their simplicity (aka minimalism). It’s no wonder that these are the most powerful and universally recognized brands of the world.
