Logo redesign vs refresh: what your brand needs
Not every change is equal
Wanting to update your logo doesn't automatically mean starting over. Understanding the difference between redesign and refresh helps you make the right choice.
What's a logo refresh?
A refresh keeps the core concept while updating execution:
- Cleaning up proportions
- Modernising typography
- Simplifying for digital
- Adjusting colours slightly
- New concept and direction
- Different symbol or wordmark
- Changed brand positioning
- Potential name change
- The concept is solid but execution is dated
- You have meaningful brand equity to preserve
- The change is primarily functional
- Budget is limited
- Your brand positioning has fundamentally shifted
- The current logo kills credibility
- You're entering new markets
- You have no significant brand equity
Recognition remains. The logo evolves.
What's a logo redesign?
A redesign starts fresh:
Recognition resets. The brand transforms.
When to refresh
Refresh makes sense when:
When to redesign
Redesign makes sense when:
Learn more about when to rebrand your startup.
The hybrid approach
Sometimes you keep the symbol but redesign the wordmark. Or vice versa. Every situation is unique.
Protecting what works
If your current logo has timeless qualities, a refresh often serves better than wholesale change.
Making the decision
Be honest about why you want change. Personal boredom isn't the same as strategic necessity.