Last week, eBay unveiled a new logo, a re-design intended to reflect a shift by the online marketplace away from auctions and collectibles toward full-priced, buy-it-now merchandise. In a note on eBay’s website, president Devin Wenig said, “Seventeen years ago, eBay created a new way for people to buy and sell. Since that time, we’ve enabled millions of people to launch their own businesses, and helped change the way the world shops for things they need and love. We’re pleased to introduce our refreshed logo. It reflects who we are today — a global online marketplace that offers a cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience.”
Don’t worry, eBay won’t be getting rid of what made it famous. There will still be those great listings for used goods, vintage items and quirky, one-of-a-kind finds that seemed to inspire the jumbled letter look of their old logo. But for the first time in 15 years since the e-commerce company launched, there will be changes. Changes such as these seem to be more and more common with companies in recent years. They are evolving and refreshing their look and positioning in order to keep up with their evolutionary changes.
Like the new concept of eBay, there are still remnants of the old in their new logo. They incorporated the iconic colors, red, blue, yellow and green, but made the letters thinner and they arranged them inline, getting rid of the jumbled approach. This is all part of the “cleaner, more contemporary and consistent experience” they are aiming for.
The new logo will go live and will appear in advertising campaigns this fall.
New businesses should take note.
I think there is a key trend happening in logo design. A lot of companies seem to be trending towards the “simple” and minimalistic look. For example, Starbucks and Microsoft have both updated their logos in the past few months. Both are cleaner and simpler, getting straight to the point –– simplifications of existing visual identities that reflect how the companies have evolved.
When a company first starts exploring a logo for itself, there are all sorts of ideas because things are still evolving. A company needs a vision even if it doesn’t yet know the best route to get there. It’s common to try and include a little bit of everything hoping to get a multitude of intended points across. The tools to communicate that point could be colors, textures, patterns, shapes, typography, gradients, icons, or any combination of those.
It may seem like the right fit at the time but it can complicate things. I think we are now at a time where everything is internet-focused. The internet is where companies survive and promote their business. Complicated logos no longer work. Viewers want to get to the point. They don’t have time to figure out if that drawing in your logo is supposed to be a “cat or a puma”. They want it straight and to the point. A bold and simple logo helps a company be seen and remembered.
Even though going the simple route can make one feel a little bare, it makes complete sense when trying to create a remarkable, memorable brand experience that helps get you noticed by your target audience.
~ Bethany Howell
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