Logo Redesign: Compare and Contrast

Logo redesign means big changes for a company. When a logo changes everything changes. A logo redesign is often accompanied by a thorough rebranding, new target markets, extensive PR and promotional work, internal company changes, as well as a renewed public interest. People tend to really notice a logo when something is off or different about it. For example, many people never payed much attention to the relatively uninteresting blue square Gap logo until it was replaced by the took-two-minutes-in-Microsoft-Word monstrosity. However, theres nothing I can say about the Gap logo change and change back that hasn't already been said by thousands of other design bloggers out there. Instead I've decided to write about what makes a logo redesign successful by comparing and contrasting new and old logos.

The Conservation International logo recently underwent a major redesign. Conservation International is an organization partners with major brands to advocate for sustainability, care for nature, and global well-being.

logos property of Conservation International

Their old logo—quite literally—a jungle of confusion with too many elements to be memorable. Their new logo embodies simplicity and gives a feeling of clean air and open space. The blue circle represents the planet, which is far more conceptual than their old version which was much more literal. The type is much cleaner as well (Gotham is almost always a great solution). The new redesign rid the logo of the boxy 80s feel. The old logo is complicated and looks like it would not reproduce well on a small scale—for example on a letterhead or business card. Both logos and emphasize the word conservation, which is a smart element to keep, because that is the main goal of the company. Personally, I greatly prefer the newer logo and feel that it is a great example of a successful logo redesign.