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Logotrend 2007: Leaves
In modern logo-design leaves stand for fresh ideas or – more generally – for an innovative way of thinking. In Web they are mostly used to communicate light-weight solutions as well as clean and unobtrusive designs. In fact, leaves, plants or ornaments which appear to be related to the nature can be found almost everywhere; it’s a trend that will probably be reversed soon, due to an extreme overuse of the theme in modern designs. The sites themselves, using leaves for their logos, mostly do not have a relation to foliage – and even although often green color is used, that is not necessarily the case.
We’d like to present you some of them. The following logos aren’t supposed to represent the quality of logo designs with leaves, but the trend we observe on the Web. The images can be clicked and lead to the sites from which the logos have been taken. You’ll also find tutorials you can use to learn how to create “leaf logos” at the end of this post. Please notice that this post features only those logos which are related to the Web.
What do you think? Is an extensive use of leaves in logos a current Web 2.0 hype which will disappear soon or are the leaves here to stay?
[Offtopic: By the way, did you know that Smashing Magazine has a mobile version? Try it out if you have an iPhone, Blackberry or another capable device.]
Leaves on light background
(This logo isn’t used any longer)
Leaves on dark background
Bonus
- Leaf Logo With Adobe Photoshop
Learn how to create a Leaf Logo using Photoshop Preset Shapes.
- Leaf Logo Video Tutorial for Adobe Photoshop
Learn how to create “a leaf” logo with Adobe Photoshop with this video-tutorial.
The Co-Founder of Smashing Magazine. Former writer, web designer, freelancer and webworker. Author of several books. Runs the business.
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August 31st, 2007 10:19 pmThis article seems useless IMO.
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- 6August 31st, 2007 10:37 pm
Couldn’t help notice the “Marketing Consulting by ACS” leaf logo on the right column of this blog…
- 7August 31st, 2007 10:41 pm
You forgot your very own “Marketing Consulting by ACS”. http://media.smashingmagazine.com/cdn_smash/images/acslogo.jpg
- 8August 31st, 2007 10:42 pm
Mint is already in the list.
Coda logo was added, thank you.
- 9August 31st, 2007 10:52 pm
They’re so fresh and easy. Really a pleasure to look at, esp. when landing on a site for the first time.
Almost as if they’re saying: “Making things naturally easy for you” (Don’t steal that line ;))Vitaly, Sven – nice job collecting them all!
- 10August 31st, 2007 11:01 pm
What about the Coda leaf?
Probably the best thing to arrive on my computer all year.
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- 13September 1st, 2007 12:27 am
I do not think that this is a trend. This is a bad example of logos.
Definition: LOGO – A recognizable graphic design element, representing an organization or product.
So how would u call those – recognizable – they look the same? - 14September 1st, 2007 12:30 am
Well, leaves are cool, but I do think that they’re just this quarters ‘reflected logo’. In time, they’ll just get used as appropriate.
- 15September 1st, 2007 1:09 am
I love this article for several reasons:
1. I’m going to be hesitant to use a leaf in any of my new logos
2. It made me realise that the words ‘trend’ and ‘logo’ shouldn’t really be in the same sentence. I would want my logos to be unique and easily identified with the product, not to be competing with a bunch of other similar logos. There shouldn’t really be such a thing as trend in logo.
3. I’m taking it as a market indicator, as to how the environment has started to play a major factor in selling things. - 16
- 17September 1st, 2007 1:15 am
I think it should be noted that most of these, even the Mint logo, owe their inspiration to Jon Hicks.
Mint of course had it’s logo way before most of these, and at worst I would say that Shaun was an early adopter of this trend, if not a pioneer (his logo is actually superior to the Hicks one, IMHO), but most of these would fall into the late adopters to laggards arena of the fashion curve.
No disrespect to any of these guys, some of the logos are incredible, but the trend is near the end of it’s life-cycle.
Even I have some sort of leaf inspired stuff on my logo, THAT’s how old it is ;P
Ah well, it’s nice to see a little vegetation among the gradients and star shaped Beta stickers and oversized inputs :)
- 18September 1st, 2007 1:28 am
Many of these logo’s were created before 2007, but yeah, the leaf is the new insta-logo treatment coming from a lot of experienced and in-experienced designers.
- 19September 1st, 2007 2:12 am
cool collection..
- 20September 1st, 2007 2:20 am
Innovative thinking. We couldn’t agree more…
And our logo proves it.
http://www.greenappleventures.com
ripe with ideas ™ - 21September 1st, 2007 2:38 am
Few more leafy logos I’ve come across. I thought I’d throw them in the mix as well.
http://logopond.com/logos/logocssmania.gif
http://www.blogactionday.org/
http://www.factorianorte.com/ - 22September 1st, 2007 2:47 am
There is no such thing as “Web 2.0″ design. Web 2.0 is about interaction and networking and nothing about design. This is one of the most misinterpreted ‘buzzes’ on the net today.
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- 25September 1st, 2007 3:28 am
Also, mint.com!
- 26September 1st, 2007 3:56 am
I see many people talking shit here. If you don’t like what you see, leave, if you don’t know what you are talking about, you don’t necessary need to make any comment. I am personally impressed about what Smashing Magazine is doing, cause it’s great resource and they are doing right what they’re doing.
My personal comment about these logos is that are mostly great, and there is no such thing about being experienced or not to make a logo like this, yes it is a trend, and it’s about web 2.0 and it’s design trends. Why green leafs, cause these are fresh, and as the article says in the beginning and web 2.0 means freash, like webdesignfromscratch says “Today’s web designs are so fresh, they feel like they’ve taken a deep breath.”
- 27September 1st, 2007 3:59 am
Leaf logos are great beacuse you can do all kind of modification to the leaf itself. koral.com is exampel that illustrates this. Hype or no hype, who cares as long as the logo is eyecatching.
- 28September 1st, 2007 4:36 am
This trend is on it’s way out. But what’s on it’s way in?
- 29September 1st, 2007 6:03 am
Don’t know what to think of these.. Think I prefered the ‘Speech Bubble’ trend a bit more..
…But then again I’m not much in to following trends..
Still, always nice to see pleasent logos rather than the 1000’s of ugly ones I see a day..
- 30September 1st, 2007 7:53 am
Yea go Refresh DC! Woo!
- 31September 1st, 2007 9:35 am
So, we’re in 20 year earth cycle. Think this has anything to do with it? Ask your hard core, spiritual artists why…
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- 34September 2nd, 2007 12:15 am
I’ve always liked these logos, and the the tutorial you posted is great, thanks!
- 35September 2nd, 2007 4:30 am
More leaves than you can shake a stick at: http://thegenerationsnetwork.com/default.aspx?html=overview
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- 37September 2nd, 2007 10:21 am
I think it’s because, not only do they look great, but they’re simple. there’s not a lot of detail to them, and they can be associated with anything…
- 38September 2nd, 2007 1:46 pm
This article was so inspiring I had to go back and re-do the logo on the 1st web domain I ever purchased back in ‘95. Every logo I do from here on out is going to get a leaf. Or two,.. Or ten.
- 39September 2nd, 2007 4:56 pm
Please tell me the font used for “plasq” ??
- 40September 3rd, 2007 1:09 am
Phazm Webdesign also uses a leaf in their logo:
http://www.phazm.com/I’m not sure what the trend is about, but Phazm goes a step further, as their “motto” is “Growing Inspiration”
- 41September 3rd, 2007 10:06 am
Yeah, it has definitely become a bit humdrum, but it’s been that way for a while. This article is about 12 months too late…
- 42September 3rd, 2007 11:17 am
What about this one in black background?
http://www.turnthewebblack.org
:)
- 43September 3rd, 2007 7:52 pm
Are leaves the new gradient fill?
- 44September 4th, 2007 1:39 am
well i do think this is an improvement over the swirl / spiral / swish trend of a few years back.
it’s important to be aware of logo trends, in order to avoid following along with them — even inadvertently. I would not want any brand identity I was involved with to end up in a trend list, even a nice trend like this one.
- 45September 4th, 2007 2:40 am
@Romy – the plasq font is completely custom :)
- 46September 4th, 2007 3:55 am
All beautifull… but are they just copies?
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- 48September 4th, 2007 6:19 pm
One of your sponsor..leaf as well….
Marketing Consulting by ACS - 49
- 50September 7th, 2007 6:07 pm
Logotrend 2008, will be root?
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- 52September 14th, 2007 1:46 am
Add Green Maven, the Green Search Engine to the list:
http://www.greenmaven.comEnjoy!
- 53October 21st, 2007 4:24 am
You can add Sugar Free America to the list as well:
- 54January 10th, 2008 3:09 am
I didn’t know I was following some sort of trend when I designed the logo for this site…it just made sense.
I am just getting back to design after having kids and would appreciate comments…I need to make sure I’ve still got the ’stuff’ to do this job!! I still love it, maybe that’s all that matters!
http://www.greengoldforestry.com for logo leaf design
http://www.explosivemedia.com for my site. - 55January 26th, 2008 3:11 pm
agree. completely. and that’s the problem with a lot of the 2.0 logo trends.
- 56September 5th, 2008 11:55 pm
Hi webmaster!
- 57September 20th, 2008 7:06 am
Interesting facts.I have bookmarked this site. stephanazs
- 58October 7th, 2008 9:44 pm
Its good. I am actually impressed by smashing magazine. I mean to do such a trend analysis on basis of such elements like leaf is an extra ordinary idea. Wud be great if the same sort of tren analysis could be done on other elements like a specific colour or a line etc could really do wonders for design people.
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Some nice logos there. Nice small selection. It comes along with all the webdesign trends, the curves, the plant shapes, etc.