Though minimalism may appeal to those who are practicing the tiny house lifestyle or living in an RV, minimalism does not appeal to the rest of us. Minimalist logos and designs are slowly and painstakingly taking over the corporate landscape.
With the recent appearance of the British car company Jaguar’s new logo, many are now realizing the negative impact minimalism is bringing onto our world. Admittedly, some logos are inherently simple, like Lego, Ford or Chevrolet. However, many companies are making the mistake of ditching unique designs and making their brands virtually indistinguishable from their competition.
Jaguar in particular has ditched its iconic logo of the feline and replaced it with something reminiscent of an electronic cigarette brand.
Minimalism isn’t just impacting logo designs and branding but also architecture, car design and clothing. Slowly, many car manufacturers are ditching the “four-door sedan” idea in favor of the standard “econo-crossover”.
Minimalist designs remove the recognition that a brand has built and replace it with bland overused designs that do little to keep old customers and attract new customers who want a “classic” feel.
Therefore, designers should consider a brand’s uniqueness and what sets it apart. Minimalism just brings a uniform conformity that leaves everything feeling the same level of corporate blandness.
Many have observed this archaic rebranding trend throughout popular fast-food chains. Instagram and Facebook users commonly reminisce about “old” McDonald’s with its original mansard roof design, Wendy’s with the “Solarium,” or KFC’s fast-food buffet.
“Out with the old, in with the new” is a common saying and corporations that follow this useless lingo are destined to lose customers, in addition to being seen as a joke and a sellout to minimalism.
Those in support of minimalism argue that it “removes distractions.” But, this statement is far from accurate, as anyone with a word processor can write a brand name in a different font in lowercase letters.
Sometimes companies change their logos and design language to separate their “eras.” So, some consultants would say changing a logo can imply the brand is modernizing, but minimalism is not modernizing.
Customers are the number one asset for a company, and keeping those customers, logically, should be at the top of any company’s priority list. A prime example of a brand that understands its customers and keeps the spirit of its brand is Chevrolet.
Since its debut in 1953, the Corvette has been the timeless American Sports Car. From 1968 until 2019, the Corvette has had a nearly continuous design language, and on top of that, Chevrolet has kept its identity.
Chevrolet has a firm understanding of what keeps its car modern, who it’s selling to (the average Corvette owner age is 61) and what keeps its brand alive. Even after a major design change, the average age of a Corvette customer stays the same.
While brands naturally evolve and change, making their products bland and uninspired by adopting logos that are minimal and unattractive is not the change the world needs to modernize.
A healthy brand would modernize, while keeping the spirits and the elements of their products the same. Minimalism is not the future, it is an archaic design language that shouldn’t be kept for much longer.
