New generations, new design directions.

What are the youths leaving behind? Ankle socks and stale branding. It’s time to embrace chaos, err on the slightly unhinged, and welcome back the maximalist aesthetic. According to the 2024 Logo Trend Report, whimsical, irregular, bloated, rounded, and wavy fonts and graphics are what Gen ZA is craving in brand appeal. Particularly popping for this consumer, stickers (or sticker-esque designs) and smiley faces worked into logos and messaging. Attracting a younger cohort, who incidentally is heavily consuming beauty and food items (read: primarily packaged product lines), calls for a quick freshness check of your design assets. As prophesied in CD & CO.s 2022 Report Gen Z's ABCs, and again in our January 2024 Report The Kids Are Not Alright, the notion of visual identity is getting more “adorkable.” The Co. recommends shaking off conventional branding tropes, including relieving the logo of its backbone status. Experiment with design range, mark treatments, logo variations, and color usage. And by all means, pull out the stops where fonts are concerned. Digital bank Up is a shining example of a brand mastering this new fluidity. Their use of bright, zany colors, playful brand characters, and dynamic motion design not only resonates deeply with Gen Z but also sets a new standard in engaging and amusing brand experiences. They've transformed the typically staid finance sector into a vibrant and inviting playground, perfectly capturing the spirit of innovation and personality that today's consumers seek.

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