By Christian Cullen, Staff Writer

Before you read this article, take a look at sports logos from the 90s and compare them to now. The Velociraptor for the Toronto Raptors has been replaced by a sleek basketball. The LA Clippers logo from just 10 years ago had more life then the current, circular LAC. Look at MLB uniforms from today, and compare them to the uniforms from just last year. There is a trend towards minimalist design in not only sports, but design in general. It is plain ol’ ugly, but also is a major driver of the vintage movement.

We will start with the easier topic to take on. Objectively, sports logos and memorabilia has gone down this road of design. Some logos are minimalist and have always been so; I’m not criticizing Ohio State’s “O” or helmet. The issue lies with teams that have revamped from more livelier logos to more minimal ones. I pointed out the Toronto Raptors and will focus on them more here. The Raptor logo was a staple in the 90s and was intimately associated with the team. There is a character and a life to that logo. Its replacement simply does not have that. 

Even Xavier has its own example. The Running Man got replaced by the X. While the X is pretty solid as far as redesigns go, there’s a reason people get so excited for the Running Man uniforms. There are many examples that I could list, but the point is that sports designs have shifted to a minimalist mindset; within that, teams lose a bit of what gives them a life and a culture to cheer for. Designs should be exciting! They should lean a little garish! Have fun with it!

There are other examples of designs outside of sports that have become more minimalist. Remember the old Instagram logo? Or what about the old YouTube logo? Ever notice in animated TV commercials, for Doordash or Kroger (two recent examples), how manufactured and minimal the designs of the characters were? Advertising designs have taken the life out of marketing. Architecture is another example; cookie-cutter homes that have the same white counters and same bland exterior. Interior design is dominated by either black, beige or white.

I mentioned that this is partly influencing the vintage movement. Going back to the sports example, most of what we consider vintage at this point uses the old logos that teams have rebranded away from. But clearly there is still a deep appreciation for the old college logos of the 70s (think the wildcat from UK or the cardinal for UofL). There is still a desire for Patriot Pat or for the old Jets logo. 

In an effort to make their designs look “cooler” or up with the current trends, sports teams merely created the vintage market. People still want these older designs, whether for nostalgia (which is forced when the team pivots to a new design) or because they legitimately like it better. Whatever the case, there is still a want for these older designs. Some teams, like the Detroit Pistons, have even reinstituted them.

Clearly, there is not a vintage market for things such as the old Instagram logo or older home designs. I still do believe there is a want that is separate from nostalgia for marketing and design that is not so focused on minimalism. I used the word “sleek” a few times. Look around a bit more with the word in mind and you will likely see just how much has become manufactured to be “sleek.” 

I would hope to see more livelier designs make their way back into our culture. Certain things, especially sports logos, should not be taken so seriously. Be silly! Be creative! Mostly, just don’t be boring with designs, which is what minimalism so often becomes.