Showerthought: Is that logo really memorable or just annoying after the 50th time?

I was at a coffee shop in Portland last month staring at this brand that used a super loud neon pink and lime green combo. At first I thought it was brilliant and edgy, but after waiting 15 minutes for my pour-over, the colors started giving me a headache. It got me wondering, where's the line between a logo that sticks in your brain and one that actually pushes people away? Some brands like that weird pet store chain with the screaming parrot logo seem to rely on pure irritation to be remembered. On the other hand, I saw a bakery logo recently that used soft browns and a simple bread loaf shape, and I still recall it clearly a week later. What do you think, does a logo need to be a little annoying to be effective or should it just be clean and calm?

2 comments

2 Comments

matthew_morgan3d ago

Honestly, that Portland coffee shop story really hits home because I used to be all about loud obnoxious logos thinking they were the only way to stand out. But seeing how that quiet brown bakery logo stuck with you a week later makes me realize I was totally wrong about needing to be annoying to be remembered. Maybe the real trick is finding that sweet spot where a logo feels fresh and unique without making people want to look away.

-1

tessawebb3d ago

God yes, @matthew_morgan. I just read some article about how our brains actually process simple shapes and muted colors way faster than chaotic loud ones. Something about cognitive load or whatever. Like we're so overwhelmed with noise all day that a quiet design feels like a relief instead of another thing screaming at us. That Portland bakery was probably banking on people walking by and just feeling calm instead of attacked. And it worked on you obviously.