There's an emerging trend in graphic design: brands are simplifying and flattening their visual logos. They're taking out the flourishes, shadows, accents, and other details that were common just a decade ago.
Why? Photographer, writer, and miscellanist Ben Schott explains in this video for Bloomberg News that the digitization of graphic design made complexity more feasible, so designers made complex works to demonstrate their skills. This is no longer necessary.
And, with graphic designs increasingly focused on small smartphone screens, complexity is counterproductive. "Pixel pressure" -- the maximum size available to a logo -- encourages designers to create images that are easier to instantly comprehend. The details must go.
-via Laughing Squid