Month: March 2023

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Brands going Bland – My Take

Whatever your opinion on it, brands are gonna keep with this trend and rework designs to be simpler. Personally, I am sad to see changes that are devoid of character. I’m very much a “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” kind of person. At the same time, I can understand a lot of changes now too. I’m more happy when I see logos adapt to become more accessible! If I were to read an explanation as to why a design change happens, I have a better time adjusting to that change than when I’m left guessing.

A collection of old logos used from many different companies, from sodas to toys to fast food.
A look at four different Starbucks logos from 1971 to the most recent in 2011.
Two Warner Bros logos side by side, the left is an older model while the right is a newer one.
Warner Bros flattening their logo to an almost bare minimum
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Brands going Bland – Firefox

As a result of this trend, it’s become expected to see brands tear themselves apart. Below is a tweet of Firefox logo changes, with each iteration losing more and more details. The result is eventually primitive-looking shapes and colors. This image isn’t entirely accurate, however. The last “logo” in the tweet is fake, that logo isn’t the current logo for Firefox. But, it goes to show the rate at which companies are moving and the little hold that the public hast to sway their decisions, too.

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Brands going Bland – Pringles

One of the worst examples of a brand adapting to the times is Pringles. The Pringles logo was full of character. Although it looked goofy, the icon’s mustache was playful and unique. I can remember looking at it fondly opening every can of Pringles. The logo nowadays is a prime example of brands dropping the charm they had. It looks as if it’s just a handful of vaguely familiar shapes, and it’s color has been sapped.

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Brands going Bland

Lately brands have been stuck in this trend that most have noticed by now. Beloved logos are being pruned and picked at, until all that remains is a lifeless copy of the original. Those who feel strongly are the loudest to tell their opinion, and they’re also usually the angriest. An example that I’m the most familiar with is Discord’s tweaks to its brand. I was in the crowd of indifference when it first rolled out. To be honest, I hadn’t noticed much of the changes until they were pointed out! Seeing the difference between both versions though, this newer version isn’t as exciting as it was prior. While companies seemingly do this out of the blue, usually there’s logical decisions, accessibility, design choices being carefully made.

Discord’s newest logo as of 2021