Noticed my local bakery's logo got simpler over 5 years and it actually works better now

I was grabbing a loaf from Bread Friend around the corner last week and realized their logo has changed three times since they opened in 2019. The first one had this detailed wheat stalk with a fancy serif font, then they simplified to just the bakery name in a clean sans serif, and now it's literally just a circle with the letter B in a friendly rounded typeface. Turns out they hired a branding person in 2022 who convinced them customers couldn't read the tiny wheat details on their delivery bags and stickers. Now the logo shows up way clearer on their social media squares and the takeout bags look super clean. Has anyone else noticed small businesses ditching the complicated vintage look for something way more minimal lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_jenny6d ago

Oh man, I gotta say I was totally that person rolling my eyes at the minimal logo trend for years. I thought all the cute little details were what made a small business feel special and homemade. But honestly, after seeing how much cleaner my favorite bagel spot looks now with just a simple little bagel icon on their boxes, I get it. You're right, the tiny wheat and stuff just gets lost when you're scrolling past or holding a bag. It's kinda embarrassing how long it took me to realize simpler actually works better when it comes to stickers and social media thumbnails.

kim.hannah6d ago

My friend's coffee shop did the same thing last year. They had this really ornate rosetta design on their cups and nobody noticed it. Once they stripped it down to just their name in a chunky font, sales actually went up because people started posting pictures of the cups online. I think owners get attached to the detailed stuff but customers just want to know the name and move on. The simpler logos also look way better on the little square stickers they put on paper bags.