Evolution of a Logo

We’ve all read articles or seen infographics that show the evolution of a logo. A Google image search will bring you hundreds of results. Below you’ll see how Pepsi’s logo has progressed over the years.

Evolution of Aspartame

Falling Up Media hasn’t been around that long, but we’ve gone through our fair share of logo designs. While digging around for the ghosts of logos past at Falling Up Media, I found this:

The arrows point to where you're supposed to throw up.

Kind of gross, right? But let’s talk about how this logo is hurting itself before sending it to logo rehab:

1. - Bulky. You wouldn’t be able to conveniently stamp this boxy monstrosity anywhere.
2. - Icky Colors. Powder blue on a white background mixed with rusty orange is not appealing.
3. - What is that font?
4. - Why are the arrows all pointing to the center? Where are they going? This logo has no direction am I right?
5. - The jokes you make about it end up not even being that funny.
6. - Dang. This logo sure will put your printer through hell. Look at all those extra lines and all that fading. All those shades of color are going to be a pain for your printer.
7. - The font size and word coloration implies that the name is “Falling Media” and that “Up” is optional or irrelevant. The word “Up” essentially becomes an under-appreciated and confused middle child.

Thankfully that logo was never officially used, and other designs were considered.

We may have stuck with it if it had been bad enough to make the news.

But the design was scrapped. This is the logo that Falling Up Media has been using for the past year:

2011

It served us well for the past year, representing us on our website, our reports, and a few other places here and there on the Internet. It’s simpler, and uses better colors and fonts. But we weren’t sure if it was the logo for us.

2012

This new logo was designed by our friends and neighbors at Park&Co. The new logo uses a better shade of blue (Pantone: 7460c), cuts out the slight shading in the orignal logo, and drops the word “group.” And if necessary the word “Media” could always be removed without damaging the logo’s appearance.

The two logo designs are barely over a year apart, but they represent a completely different Falling Up Media. New clients, new successes, a new office and creative space, and three four new employees have crossed Falling Up’s path in the past year, and the new logo represents these changes.

The simplicity of the new logo makes it easier to put it anywhere in attractive and affordable ways.

Signs!

Windows!

Business Cards!

How many logo designs did your business go through before choosing one? Where do you use your logo?

About The Author: Justin Hoffman

A reformed redneck and recovering rocker, Justin blogged, marketed, and wrote his way across the country until finding himself in the metropolitan desert. Ask him about his three amigos.
Follow Justin on Twitter at @GlitterDunn or on Google+
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