In 1997, Google introduced their first logo and it looked like something I drew when I got my first computer as a teenager. It wasn’t exactly a logo that looked like a company with the ambition to permanently change the way the entire world population uses the internet.
Below you see the Google logo from 1997. Do you know what I mean? Right.
Fortunately, Google saw that there was room for improvement
After a few more rounds of design, they landed on this 3D logo around the turn of the millennium:
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3D logos were hipper than hip at the start of the new millennium. But that wouldn’t last. A decade later, logos looked like flat pancakes. Gone was the depth, gone were the shadows and texture effects.
Companies switched en masse to 2D designs, also called flat design . 3D? That was something from the previous century!
But have you ever wondered why people suddenly switched to 2D?
The 1950s: Most logos were 2D
In the middle of the last century, most logos were 2D. They can be described as simple and clean. No frills, no nonsense:
Even then, the importance of symbols to create a lasting impression on target audiences was recognized. More and more attention was paid to logo design.
The Rise of 3D Logos
The 70s brought us computer-generated imagery. Star Wars did that.
From this point on, logos began to come to life, especially for use in film and television. The compilation of MTV logos illustrates this perfectly (the grainy quality of the video is part of the nostalgic charm):
But the real catalyst for the popularity of 3D logos came around the turn of the millennium.
Adobe developed InDesign and Photoshop and suddenly everyone had access to graphic design programs. There was a lot of experimentation with the possibilities that this software offered, including the application of 3D effects.
The opportunity to fully exploit new techniques was seized not only by amateurs, but also by professional designers. As a result, logos were (re)designed en masse in 3D.
Burger King went from a 2D logo to a logo with a 3D effect:
And this was just the beginning.
3D effects to aid digital navigation
In the early days of the internet, people started using the web for everything (as we still do today). And graphic designers wanted to help people navigate these new devices easily.
Designers began using a style called skeuomorphism. (Perhaps a fun word to add to our article on the most beautiful words in the world .)
When we talk about user interface design (and that is indeed the topic we are talking about), skeuomorphism means making your digital objects look like real life objects.
The commonly used icon for saving is skeuomorphic, as it resembles a physical floppy disk.
To make such an icon look even more like a ‘real’ object, a 3D effect was added to create depth: skeuomorphism was brought to life with color gradients, shadows and textures.
(For the young readers: floppy disks were used to store files in the old days. One floppy disk could hold about one modern digital photo. No joke.)
Intuitive devices thanks to 3D effects
Consumers expect computers and smartphones to be intuitive and easy to use. That is true today and was true in the early days of the Internet and home computers.
Dragging a file to a virtual trash can feels intuitive: in real life, you would also pick up the unwanted object and throw it in the trash.
With the advent of the computer in every household, people began to look more and more for new technological developments. One of the developments that was embraced by the consumer was touch screen technology.
Of course, these touchscreen devices were also expected to be intuitive to use, so manufacturers made sure of that.
The iPhone and iTouch were the first touchscreen devices to catch on with the general public. These devices had no buttons. Now commonplace, then revolutionary.
I still remember my surprise the first time I got my hands on an iPhone. The 3D designs combined with vibrations and clicking sounds made me feel like I was clicking real buttons. Incredible!
Photo source: Justin Main on Unsplash
3D slows down and takes up space
3D logo design was essential in getting people used to the home computer and later to touchscreen devices.
But as the world became more comfortable with this kind of technology, 3D design and skeuomorphism became less important. Designers began to return to flat design .
Critics of skeuomorphism argued that all those 3D effects made a screen look cluttered and crowded. In addition, all those gradients, shadows, and textures took up valuable storage space on a device. They also slowed down the device.
2D design saves storage space and provides a tidy appearance.
However, this was not the only reason why flat design was making a comeback.
Skeuomorphism limits the possibilities
Skeuomorphism limits the options of what you can do with a design because you always have to stick to a reality.
Ideas and user interfaces can take on a more abstract form. An example of this is the hamburger menu that is ubiquitous in flat design . This image shows how you can manipulate a physical object when you no longer have the need to make it look realistic:
Here we see the opposite of skeuomorphism, because in real life there are no hamburger menus with drop-down functions. But this clever trick works, because instead of always having to write a website menu in full, a user interface can suddenly be made much more organized by placing all menu items behind a hamburger.
Better for users, better for designers
Not only was 2D design increasingly seen as the most india phone number data user-friendly option, 2D design was also a lot easier to create than 3D, which is more pleasant for clients’ budgets:
Nowadays everything is 2D
When you surf the World Wide Web today, you often see certain logos:
You open your browser thirty times a day, which means thirty times the Chrome logo;
Every evening you watch an episode on Netflix, which ao lists means you see the Netflix logo at least twice (at the beginning and at the end of your program);
You check Instagram a few times a day, which means that the Instagram logo appears before your eyes every time;
A quick video on YouTube during breakfast, during your lunch break and in bed at night? Those are many times you see the YouTube logo.
And all those logos have one thing in common: they are all 2D.
But is that the permanent end of skeuomorphism? Perhaps not. High-quality 2D logos are faster to create than high-quality 3D logos;
2D design is cheaper for the customer because it takes less time.
But this does not mean that skeuomorphism has no future.
I can’t predict what the Coca-Cola, Lego and Oreo logos will look like in ten years. All I hope is that I don’t wake up tomorrow with a completely redesigned operating system on my smartphone.
