Generic design: What is it and what does it look like?
Chances are, you’ve come across generic design at least once in your lifetime. It is unavoidable and even the biggest companies are guilty of it.
What is generic design?
Generic designs feature elements that have been used so many times, they no longer feel like original creations.
At 99designs, we highly discourage designers from submitting generic design.
Here's why:
- Generic design can't be trademarked because it is too common.
- The purpose of having a logo is for brands to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Having a generic logo defeats this purpose, and may signal that a brand is unoriginal.
So, what is considered generic design?
Here are the most common suspects:
V-people / abstract humanoids
Rings of abstract humanoids
Bar graphs
3D triangular links
3D spheres and cubes
Wordmarks and lettermarks
Head to this page for more information on what fonts are allowed.
Accounting, Finance, Business Consulting
Real Estate
Computer, Internet, Technology, Communications
Retail
Medical, Health, Pharmaceutical
Automotive
Dental
Environmental
Vintage badges
Field-style logo designs
Book cover, t-shirt and print designs
Please note that this is not a comprehensive list — new and “trendy” styles become overused and then become generic.