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introduction
In recent years, it is enough to take a walk down any street or scroll a little on Instagram to notice a strange sense of visual déjà vu. Clean sans serif fonts, white spaces, all very correct, very neutral... and very similar.
At Indigo, a graphic design studio between Palma and Bali, we have been observing this phenomenon for some time. This is not just a fad, but a direct consequence of how brands are being built today: quickly, from templates, and with fear of going outside the norm. In this article we talk about why it happens, what is behind this visual homogeneity and why we believe that good branding should not look so much like the rest.
“A good logo doesn't have to shout. But it shouldn't look like a hundred other brands have done it before you.”
1. The era of the workforce
It's never been easier to launch a visual brand. There are automatic logo generators, ready-to-use font banks and thousands of mockups that make up any proposal in minutes. The result: brands that “look like brands”, but that don't say anything.
Accessibility is positive, but it has also flattened the field. Many companies prioritize having “something that fits into networks” rather than an identity that connects with their story or vision. And that's where the problem begins.
2. The obsession with “clean”
Minimalism has become the standard of contemporary graphic design. And well applied, it has a lot of strength. The problem is when “less is more” becomes “less is less”. Logos so neutral that they could be from any company, in any sector, in any country.
Visual cleanliness shouldn't be synonymous with a lack of character. An identity can be clear, simple and functional without becoming invisible.
3. Social networks as an aesthetic template
Instagram, Behance and TikTok have helped to democratize design and have given visibility to thousands of creatives. But they have also generated quiet aesthetic pressure: “everything should look nice in a square”. The design is filtered more because of what “works visually” than because of what makes sense for the brand.
A lot of decisions are made thinking about the feed, not the message. And that, in the long term, weakens brands.
4. How to keep your brand from being diluted?
At Indigo, we work from the idea that branding is not a beautiful logo: it is a visual structure with direction and judgment. That's why, when we design an identity, we ask a lot of questions before drawing anything. We listen, read, analyze context, values and tone.
From there, the design comes on its own. Not from a template, but from a point of view. That's what makes one brand look like no other.
5. An identity with personality doesn't have to be rare
We're not saying that all brands should be eccentric, or go against everything. But we do believe that a good visual identity should have coherence, intention and a small twist. That detail that makes it yours. It can be a well-thought-out typographic choice, an editorial structure that orders chaos, a use of color that isn't scary. Something that doesn't just fit: that it's remembered.
In a world where everything is the same, differentiating yourself is not a whim: it's a strategy. If you're building a brand, or if you think yours has been diluted in generics, maybe it's time to go back to the beginning: what do you have to say and how can we truly show it?
If that sounds like you, you know where to find us.