Like any element of design, logo trends are always evolving and being refreshed to suit changing environments. A company’s logo represents a central pillar of the brand (i.e. it’s kind of a big deal), which is why we thought we’d take a look at what logo trends are popular right now, and how they can be applied to your uniform design.
Minimalism
A minimalist logo design is all about simplicity. It’s amazing how much you can communicate with a simple design. This might mean that your logo is nothing more than your brand name in a particular typeface.
Take, for example, Melbourne bar and restaurant venue The Woolshed . While the logo is just the capital ‘W’ from the business name in a simple, sophisticated serif font, it actually doesn’t need anything more than this. A simple logo means a stripped back, easy to interpret brand name, making the food and culture the top priority of the business.
Minimalist logos often look their best paired with uniforms that are also quite minimalist. Think clean, white T-shirts with a simple linen apron. You could embroider the logo onto a shirt or apron for a delicate branding touch, but definitely don’t go overboard with a minimalist logo. Bold black and white combinations are key.
Hand drawn
Hand-drawn logos add flare and personality to a logo, incorporating a touch of authenticity and warmth.
Take a look at how Brisbane café Wild Canary do it. This type of hand drawn logo looks great printed onto shirts, aprons, and t-shirts – anything with a simple background so the gorgeous lettering isn’t drowned out.
Hand drawn logos look best printed or embroidered onto simple, clean backgrounds, like a white T-shirt or a light denim shirt. The more elaborate the script is, the simpler the uniform design should be.
Negative space
Negative space logos cleverly use letters and spacing to create shapes (or other letters) within the logo. One of the most famous examples of this is the arrow positioned in the FedEx logo.
Hospitality trends generally dictate that negative space is used to create shapes like coffee cups, forks and spoons in this industry.
Belle’s Hot Chicken in Melbourne does this in a cheeky, fun way. While the typography is striking on its own, the stylised chicken in the negative space gives you a feel for the kind of food and dining environment they offer.
Maha is a restaurant with a logo that also plays with negative space in a sleek, creative way. Its logo features an illustrated leopard design interwoven with the business name, all tied together in its signature bright gold and white palette.
Negative space logos can be applied to uniforms in a variety of ways. If it’s not too complex, you could embroider or print it onto T-shirts, shirts or aprons. In the case of MAHA’s metallic gold design, a digital print offers an exact colour match and sheen. Negative space is especially striking when it makes the natural fabric of the uniform pop. We can work with you to find the perfect uniform fabric to highlight your unique logo.
Line art
A logo comprised of line art is usually a secondary logo – not the full logo used on the website and menu, but a simplified ‘icon’ version which can be applied in other situations.
Dexter Meat + Buns in Melbourne uses a really simple black on white line design in their branding. Sometimes this is juxtaposed with cartoon style illustrations in bright colours that serve to elevate the pared back logo and add some serious personality
Customers come to recognise the brand through strong visual cues like this. If your brand name is long or complicated, a line art logo could be a great option for your uniforms, as it’s simple and easy to understand. Plus, the team at Dexter has also created a simple X mark, as a very subtle, minimal way of saying “Dexter”. We know that “X” marks the spot when embroidered on to their aprons!
Vintage
Vintage designs often contain a stamp, banner or shield feature, or even just an old-fashioned typeface, to communicate a nostalgic theme. Many also include an establishment date in the logo design.
This type of logo may be used for a family business, or an establishment that has been around for a while. It could also be used to draw on values like authenticity, specialty and experience.
An example is Mork Chocolate, who create specialty hot chocolate both at their North Melbourne café and distribute to other cafes. Their logo features the handwritten brand name on a banner, making it look like a product label.
Vintage logos look great embroidered onto aprons, or could be printed onto T-shirts. This style looks great paired with a check shirt and a leather strap apron to exemplify the ‘old-school’ theme. Sometimes an old school badge works with a vintage logo design as well.
Whichever style of logo reflects your business, keep in mind that different types of logos work better in different formats and on different materials. You probably wouldn’t print a ‘busy’ logo on a denim shirt, or tiny, detailed embroidery details on an apron. If you’d like help deciding on the right uniform elements to match your logo (or vice versa), and how to apply it, get in touch with the Urbanbar Design team
*All logos and company names are owned by their respective holders. Use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them. Urbanbar's trend forecasting and design inspiration is independent and based on what we love seeing in hospitality and design.
