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Noticed anything strange lately?
Have you seen the way the logos for different brands seem to be changing? It’s almost like all brands have decided to adopt the same aesthetic at the same time.
Soft, blunt-shaped blobs and delicate lines are taking over the visual designs of big businesses.
And it’s all thanks to organic shapes.
Why is this? Let’s find out.
The Soft Revolution
The shapes that brands decide to adopt as part of their logos aren’t an accident.
Brands meticulously choose shapes, colors, and textures based on their rhythm, themes, cohesion, and psychological impact.
Shapes are the foundation of all visual design. If you’d look back to the 1990s and 2000s, you’d see big businesses sharing a certain block-like aesthetic. This was the era when the internet was just starting to come to fruition, and businesses wanted you to know they were aiming for the future.
This aesthetic took over websites, packaging, logos, and everything else you could think of.
Today, there’s been a shift. There’s been a turn to organic shapes. Shapes with free-flowing natural curves that seem organic and natural and where clean lines reign are all the craze.
Organic shapes are the natural shapes you find in nature, like leaves, flowers, clouds, and trees.
The shapes are unpredictable and symbolize freedom.
Visual designers take advantage of this aesthetic to evoke specific emotions in website visitors. A brand’s logo needs to convey the right message because users will perceive that as the brand’s voice. A financial company needs to evoke different emotions than a fashion enterprise, for example.
All shapes have their respective connotations which, when used intelligently, deliver effective information to your customers without them even realizing it. This is especially important because the internet contains a hurricane of information that overwhelms most users on a daily basis.
The human mind can only contain so much information. This is why structuring the right shapes and designs into your brand is essential.
This initial burst of visual information may be the most important first impression your brand can make on potential new customers.
So why organic shapes? What is their purpose, and should you maybe consider them for your website as well?
How Organic Shapes Can Improve Your Website
1. Organic shapes relax and calm users
Organic shapes contain serene and calming cues along with their naturalistic design. They are not bound by strict rules, so designers have the freedom to craft soft, fluid, and natural forms.
As an example, consider using abstract floral artwork as your background. It can help calm and center your audience if you would like them to think of comfort, peacefulness, and serenity.
The calming effect is valuable because it relaxes visitors so they can keep exploring your web pages for longer because these organic shapes are less likely to trigger eye strain.
2. Organic shapes subconsciously build trust
With most markets oversaturated today, customers prefer returning to those businesses they have a long-standing relationship with instead of trying something new.
It’s standard practice to include reviews and testimonials to influence customers. But organic shapes can impart a feeling of approachability and friendliness so you can start building trust the moment your customer lands on your page.
Visual elements that are congruent with your industry and product play an important role in developing trust.
A visual design that clashes with your product or service creates incongruency and fosters distrust before you even have a chance to interact with your customers.
3. Organic shapes draw attention to specific pages and areas
Organic shapes are naturally and instinctively appealing. They have the power to grab attention because they stand out so much in the overly professional realm of business websites.
Their distinctiveness helps you guide a visitor’s focus toward a certain part of your page so you can highlight things like your company’s name, special offers, and messages.
This gentle ability to direct your customer’s attention is priceless in crafting your message and advertisement.
4. Organic shapes influence psychology
Circles symbolize unity, perfection, and wholeness. They are used to show love and devotion in logos and brands and are popular among insurance entities and community-oriented brands.
Triangles are strong and denote power, strength, and radiate motion. They represent authority and strength and are not uncommon among financial institutions as a result.
Rectangles are the most well-balanced shape. They are ideal to signify order, stability, and symmetry. As a result, these are a mainstay among logos, magazines, posters, and most branding and communication pamphlets. This is the safest shape a brand can use.
All shapes contain psychological connotations and organic shapes help your business seize the right one for your brand.
So, wait no more! Start experimenting with organic shapes for your brand logo and have fun with it!
