Like most aspects of online marketing, your logo has a certain shelf life and should be redesigned over time in order to give your brand refreshed and up-to-date image. These changes, even if they are subtle, are necessary in order to stay relevant and keep your company identity fresh in the eyes of consumers.

So how do you know when it’s the right time to redesign your company logo? Below we have compiled a few indicators that may help you figure that out, as well as some factors that should be taken into consideration while going through the process of your logo update.

1. Age

The first and most obvious thing to consider is when was the logo first designed? When was it most recently updated? Most businesses are identifiable through their name, their tagline, or their logo and no brand can live solely off of any of those marketing aspects forever. Your logo is one of your strongest marketing tools, and just like any marketing campaign, it needs to be revitalized after a certain period of time.

You want to update your logo, but you also don’t want to lose your branding or become unidentifiable to your audience. Brands like Coca-Cola update their logo almost every year with small changes that are relatively unnoticeable. However, consumers still recognize the modernization and overall fresh look that never seems to fade from the brand. You can make little changes like this to your logo without it causing too much of an issue because the updates are so subtle.

Alternatively, you then have companies like Google who recently updated their logo, as they have every 5 years or so since their foundation in 1998. As a digital company, it is necessary for Google to regularly keep up with the changes within their industry and throughout the online world. These changes are more notable because they do not occur as frequently, and with the volume of individuals using Google, you will certainly hear some buzz surrounding it when a change does occur.

If you have an old logo that hasn’t been given any attention in a long time, this could be a great indicator that it may be time to consider a redesign or update. Naturally, companies and industries evolve over time and your logo is one of the branding elements that has to be updated in order to change with it.

2. Trend

Like fashion and hairstyles, logo designs go through trends over time. The late 90’s and early 2000’s saw frequent usage of a “swoosh” movement throughout various logo designs. Today we find ourselves immersed in a hipster trend that includes geometric designs and minimalist crests. Just as you don’t want your logo to look “old,” you want it to fit your brand and not necessarily what is trendy at the moment.

It is only a matter of time before the next trend comes in, and a whole new wave of logo designs start to surface. Just like the age of the original logo design, the style of the logo can add a new dimension to its need for a redesign. If you find your logo looks outdated in this sense, it could be a great time to revisit it, and see if it can be updated and redesigned for a more modern look that can last much longer.

3. Complexity

As the digital world has become such a large part of our lives, we have seen companies go through rebranding to adapt their logos and to be more suitable for online marketing. If your logo doesn’t convert well on a website or Facebook page, it may be time to redesign.

Often it is complex logos that see these updates first. Designs with too much detail or gradient do not translate well through multiple platforms both on and offline. Be sure to take into consideration where you want your logo to be seen. Of course it will be on your website, but do you want it printed on apparel? Will it be on stationary, letterheads, or any other promotional product?

You want a design that will work for your universal needs. When you are bringing new marketing platforms into your branding strategies, it could be a good time to consider how your logo may need to be redesigned in order to match these updates.

4. Changes

If your company is experiencing a dramatic change to it’s structure or services, this could be a great opportunity to rebrand your business and redesign your logo. Whether it is a merger or major advancement at your organization, a change in your business can cause for a 360-degree transformation to your marketing strategies.

A new logo can indicate new branding, and we often see this with company acquisitions and mergers throughout a variety of industries. When businesses experience this type of organizational change, their logos are affected in one of 3 ways:

1. Larger Company Wins
Of the two companies involved in the deal, the larger one just eats the other without integrating their branding at all.

2. Combination
In this case, the two companies blend their branding efforts. Colors, names, or logos are restructured to indicate the two companies coming together, while still equally representing them both.

3. Brand New
The two companies start from scratch. They combine forces to create an entirely new name and brand identity to indicate their move forward as one unit.

Even if your company is going through a smaller change, any moment of significance for your business can be an opportune time to redesign your logo and your branding strategy. A refreshing look will bring a new energy to the company as you move towards the future.

5. Design

If you started off as a small company, you may not have originally had the resources to allocate to a logo design. Perhaps it was done quickly or by an amateur, and it no longer means anything to your current brand. These are all instances in which having a professional take a look could be beneficial.

If it is a logo that you have stuck with for a long time, but it’s not something your audience necessarily identifies your company with, then there is no real reason to keep using it. A fresh new perspective could be just what your logo needs, and any good designer will work closely with you to come up with a solution that gives your logo a revitalized look while still maintaining the overall essence of you brand. A new logo can say all of the things that your old logo did not, while still including the things that are important to your business. Whether it is a design aspect or a specific color, your logo can be redesigned without being ruined.

Redesigning your logo is redesigning your brand. However, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. A logo update allows your business to explore new opportunities and display much more about what the company stands for. The logo is the very core of your business, and redesigning it allows you to maintain and modernize your brand.