Are Logos Still Relevant?

Let me start with something that caught me off guard.

---

By Izzy Poirier, Designing brand identities backed by strategy, built to resonate with the people they’re meant for.

---

We were prepping promo for one of our Ottawa Design Club (ODC) volunteer-run events. Posters. Socials. Newsletter. Everything looked solid. The design felt right. The message came through. But then someone asked, almost as an afterthought, “Hey, should we add the logo?”

And when we tried? The logo felt like too much. It didn’t quite belong. The energy shifted, felt a bit off, breaking the mood. The more we looked, the more obvious it became: this design simply didn’t need the ODC logo on it to work.

This wasn’t a one-time thing. Campaign after campaign, we kept leaving it out. Not by accident, but intentionally. Because we could. Our audience still knew it was us; the visual language was clear. The events sold out. The vibe stayed intact. The logo quietly lived on in our profile pic and website header, doing its job there. That felt like enough.

Now, a quick side note before anyone points out the irony. I design logos for a living. That’s the twist. I understand the craft, the history, the power of a strong mark. I spend hours sweating over curve precision and negative space. But even with a real appreciation for logos, I’ve noticed their traditional, central place seems to be quietly shrinking.

This feels especially true for brands operating in real-time, fast-moving, experience-driven environments, particularly online.

When new volunteer designers join ODC, their first instinct is always to slap the logo on everything. Every post, every corner, every mock-up. We gently tell them to chill. Not because the logo’s bad (We like it! It’s doing its job.), but because in the middle of a promo about community, the logo suddenly feels like it’s trying too hard to be the star.

So that got me thinking more broadly. Are logos still relevant? Or are we just clinging to them out of habit?

The Logo Used to Be the Whole Deal

There was undeniably a time when the logo was the brand. Think golden arches, a bitten apple, a yellow shell. Powerful shorthand for credibility, consistency, trust.

Before the internet, brand touchpoints were limited: storefronts, packaging, billboards, print ads. The logo had a huge job, needing consistency across signage, packaging, cards, and uniforms. In that era, the logo was the cornerstone, doing the primary work of recognition.

For a long time, that made sense. Logos were how you spotted brands. Often, not much else was needed.

But the digital explosion (internet, social media, apps, motion graphics) changed the landscape. Brands became dynamic participants in feeds and flows. Even giants like McDonald’s evolved; their logo became one part of a broader experience, not the sole point of recognition.

Today, people scroll through immense volumes daily. The old idea of one logo holding it all together doesn't fit. The logo isn’t the solo hero now. It’s part of an ensemble cast. Still important, but no longer carrying the entire narrative alone. We're seeing strong brands build recognition without constantly relying on their mark, using motion, illustration, voice, or visual rhythm instead.

Mailchimp: From Mascot to Mood

 Mailchimp’s original logo featured Freddie the chimp: playful and approachable.

But in 2018, a COLLINS rebrand brought a bolder system: vibrant yellow, chunky type, surreal illustrations. Freddie didn’t disappear but stepped back, becoming one element in a flexible visual ecosystem reflecting small business users. Mailchimp crafted a cohesive language without leaning hard on the logo.

The impact was clear. The revitalized brand felt more dynamic and connected with its audience, demonstrating that success came not from amplifying the logo, but from the strength and coherence of the entire brand experience working in concert.

Airbnb: The Logo That Hangs Back

Airbnb’s “Bélo” symbol is clean, scalable, and quietly iconic. You’ll still find it where it matters: app icons, tabs, loading screens. But it rarely takes center stage.

 The recent 2025 redesign pushes this even further. Instead of leading with the logo, Airbnb leans on playful 3D illustrations and a refreshed icon system to carry the brand. These new elements, developed by their in-house team, act as a visual language. They’re expressive, functional, and instantly recognizable without relying on a stamped logo.

The Bélo, created by DesignStudio in 2014, was designed to represent belonging. That idea hasn’t changed. But now, the feeling of belonging shows up in the way the app behaves. It lives in the living itineraries, the new guest-to-guest features, the tone, and the flow.

The illustrations do the talking. The interface does the welcoming. The logo just quietly confirms what we already feel.

Intentional Logos, Not Insecure Ones

Are logos still relevant? Yes, but their role has shifted. They've moved from being the undisputed star to playing a quieter, supporting role. Still present, still important when used thoughtfully, but not needing to dominate.

And yet, many brands still treat logos like duct tape. Slapped onto every corner. Pinned to headers, watermarked, repeated just in case. Not because the design needs it, but because we do. It’s a habit. A reflex. A comfort blanket.

But if you need to scream your name to be remembered, something’s off.

Strong logos today don't fight for attention. They're placed with care, used sparingly, integrated seamlessly. When you spot them, it clicks: “Of course it’s them.” That casual recognition is the mark doing its job. Take Mailchimp and Airbnb: the logo’s still there, but no longer performing solo. It’s part of the scene, not the headline.

Relevance doesn’t come from volume. It comes from timing, placement, and trust. The logo doesn’t have to be the loudest element. In fact, the louder it is, the more it risks undermining the brand’s confidence. The real shift: moving from habit to intention. Not adding the logo because you always do, but because the design calls for it, supports the message, punctuates rather than dominates.

So yes, logos are still relevant. But only when they stop trying so hard to prove it.

Full Circle

Which brings us back to that tiny moment at ODC. We were building a visual that felt right. Type, tone, mood, all there. Then the pause: “Should we add the logo?”

It wasn’t a crisis, just a gut check: Does it actually need it? That’s the kind of question more teams should ask.

Because that small pause signalled something bigger. A shift. A habit change we’ve been embedding in how we approach branding and design. It’s not about removing the logo altogether, but creating a culture that values when and how it shows up, and isn’t afraid to hold back.

It taught us (and now, our new designers) that slapping a logo on every touchpoint isn’t strategy. It’s a habit. And a bad one…

We have to train ourselves to see beyond the mark. To trust the brand we’ve built. To notice when the logo adds value, and when it’s just trying too hard.

Because at the end of the day, the question isn’t whether logos are still relevant. It’s whether we’re using them with intention.

And maybe that’s what this is really about: confidence. The kind that doesn’t panic when the logo isn’t front and centre. The kind that trusts the work to speak first, lets the logo chime in when it counts.

Because sometimes the most strategic thing you can do with a logo is chill. Let it sit quietly in the corner, doing its job without screaming for attention.