Bill Gardner, president of Gardner Design (http://www.gardnerdesign.com/) here, has a front-row seat when it comes to branding trends in the US and abroad. Gardner's fourth book in his best selling LogoLounge series has been published. And he recently released his sixth annual report of logo trends in GD USA, a national design magazine (http://www.gdusa.com/issue_2008/04_apr/feature/index2.php).
So what does he see among these trends? "Clean and simple" corporate identities and the increasing value of design -- sometimes in measurable ways -- on the bottom line.
"Many companies now have metrics to prove that design-influenced products can make them more money," says Gardner. Research firm Peer Insight, for example, found that companies focused on customer-experience design outperformed the S&P 500 by a 10-to-1 margin from 2000 to 2005.
Branding trends
Gardner identifies 15 top trends in his report, and provides insights on how they may influence customers. The trends include "Supernova," "Doodles," and "Jawbreakers."
One trend, "Facets," is comprised of logos that remind the viewer of highly polished gems. "To create the greatest value in a material as basic as a stone, one has to first recognize the potential worth," says Gardner.
Gardner says that "Animotion" is another design trend to watch. These moving logos are designed for the online audience.
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