Top 15 emerging logo trends for 2023
Design trends are meant to be a starting point for inspiration and sparking your own creative process. Whether you’re just beginning your brand research process, or looking to refresh your original logo with a redesign project for the new year, find out what took the design world by storm in 2022 and what will be popular in 2023 for branding and business logos by checking out these distinct logo trends.
Logo design trends for 2023
Serifs with a twist
Serifs — a common typeface style with flares at letter ends and corners — are experiencing a resurgence in a more playful and carefree expression, rather than the typical usage of serifs in lengthy newsprint or literature texts, or darker Art Deco-era titling.
Ornamental monograms
Sometimes referred to as letter marks, monograms are logos that are a single decorative symbol made up of one to three letters. Monograms in the past have been rather institutional, but in recent times this classic logo has been given an ornamental spin that folds in additional layers, utilizing contrasting colors and typefaces for an expressive touch.
Outer and inner space
Playing with space through type, and the intersections of the two, is the new look of minimalism. Connecting type through guided lines and negative space can give structure and boundaries where they previously did not exist, giving the logo a spine or an anchor, or even a fun new direction.
Scribbles and sketches
Endearingly imperfect, these sketched-out logos — scribbled up as if by a child with a penchant for graphic design — are meant to be accessible, personable, and deeply rooted in the enduring trend of pulling inspiration from nostalgia, especially when it comes to ‘90s styles.
Lay it on
This overlay logo trend allows for multiple design elements to be layered over each other for a dynamic effect. Each piece stands alone yet is connected, showcasing each piece used to construct the logo overall. The overlay trend is especially effective with geometric shapes and color transparencies.
Text assortment
This text-based logo trend has been gathering steam in this last year with its enjoyable shake-up of typical business logos through playing with different typefaces to create a varied design. These styles of mix-and-match text play around with design possibilities and break with any need for clean lines or uniformity.
Y2K 4ever
Style trends are, of course, cyclical and Gen Z designers have proven to care about the concept of nostalgia in addition to the extreme revival of this specific era in every possible way. Y2K designs in 2022 and 2023 evoke a time when it was unclear whether tech could have a human feel, lending a dreamy softness to the harshness and sterility of metallic and industrial forms. This trend is immediately relatable not only to a newer crowd of designers, but also to the generations of designers that were there for these concepts the first time around.
Lock it up: Illustration
Minimalist trends come and go every year but the concept of a single line drawing is forever. Illustration lock-up logo styles that hone in on block printing, simplistic outlines, and neutral tones are back in a big way due to their classically easy appeal.
Lower that case
Accessibility is key with this 2023 logo trend. Dropping the set down to lowercase bring a minimalistic sense to a more playful approach to type. Uppercase doesn’t have to be exclusively for the business class — lowercase can get the job done too.
Lock it up: Text
Logo design trends extend to the text for this style, transforming type into a tool of illustration. Popular text lock-up styles tend towards circles, archways, and tombstone-based shapes, and can serve as an encasement for the brand information.
Candy-core
Your brand logo can come to life with the candy color pops that are showing up in the design trend sphere lately. This pastel rainbow dessert palette takes a sharp left from 2021’s “Chobanicore” trend wave and heads straight toward bubble gum pop art as the new visual guide.
Dimensional playground
Bring 2023 into 3-D with these multi-dimensional logos. This trend expands the usual static logo and makes it dynamic by adding in layers, pulling apart text, and building up the concepts at play so that each logo pops out at you from the page.
Logo mascots
The design world is moving into the next year with a new cast of characters. Logo mascots — running the gamut from a simple doodle to a full personality — have been seen in doodle, cartoon illustration, and fully animated forms. Hop on this trend with a friend of your own in the templates below.
Westward ho!
Much like the 2022 Art Nouveau resurgence, this revival of Western and Americana styles in logo design uses retrofuturism to illustrate the styles of yore with the technology of today. Especially with the 2022 popularity of psychedelic design traditions, the combination of the vintage and the retro can create something completely fresh.
Hand-drawn
Real life is unscripted, and an authentic way of exhibiting that with your business is by showcasing a hand-drawn logo. This trend has the ability to look unfinished in a romantic way and does far more to convey a brand’s aesthetic with the personality that imbues the drawing.
Free Adobe Express logo templates
If you find yourself coming up short on logo concepts for your business or brand, explore more of our free logo templates to kickstart your creative process.
Are you ready to jump into the logo design process? Try out the free Adobe Express logo maker for additional inspiration.