It’s the modern age of logo design yet I still see so many designers falling back on design ideals of the 1990s. The swoosh is dead. Leave it that way.
The swoosh, although a design element I could really do without ever seeing again, isn’t the worst of the worst.
The drop shadow. This favourite of photoshop logo designers (a whole other issue I’ll be discussing soon) has become something of a crutch for designers and clients alike. If you’re a designer and you’re adding a drop shadow to your logos, quit. Right now. Just stop doing it. It doesn’t add depth. It doesn’t make it look better. If it does there’s a flaw with your logo, go back and start over and design something that doesn’t need a drop shadow to look “good”.
If you’re a client and you’re telling your designer to add a drop shadow, quit. Right now. Stop telling your designer what looks good. They’re the professional. You don’t tell your dentist, therapist, mechanic or dog groomer how to do their job – stop telling your professional designer how to do theirs.
A few other design elements that need to be eliminated from the world of logo design include: bevels, metal gradients, image files (raster elements), clipart, and watercolour brush strokes – off the top of my head.