"I thought it was made by Art. Lebedev Studio": Experts evaluate the logos of famous brands

Contents:

• Adobe
• Amazon
• Auto.ru
• Tula State Pedagogical University named after L. N. Tolstoy

Adobe

Stefan Lasko notes that Adobe is taking significant steps toward creating a more friendly and expressive identity, moving away from traditional corporate standards. This decision seems logical and perhaps overdue, especially amid growing pressure from modern platforms like Figma, which attract users with their stylish identities and active community interaction. Adobe is looking to adapt to new market demands and improve the perception of its brand, which can have a positive impact on its position in the competitive environment.

The use of the iconic letter A in the mark, organically integrated into the text logo, is an obvious and, frankly, surprising move. This approach demonstrates how a brand can effectively build on its heritage. Embedding a symbol into a logo not only strengthens the visual identity but also emphasizes the connection to the company's history, making the brand more memorable and appealing to the target audience. Meticulous attention to detail in logo design helps build trust in the brand and increase its recognition in the marketplace.

The new custom font, which forms the basis of the entire identity, maintains a retro-styled design, which irritates me somewhat. I often wondered how much longer it would be used, as its style seems outdated. However, it seems the Adobe team has a different opinion and, on the contrary, demonstrates pride in this font.

The red color combined with the bold border continues to evoke strong emotions, similar to National Geographic. This colorful shade remains bright, aggressive, and memorable. It is associated with intrusive pop-ups warning about license expirations and other important notifications. The use of red in design attracts attention and creates a sense of urgency, making it an effective tool in online marketing and web design.

The new identity appears simple and at times even boring, yet it conveys confidence and maturity. It communicates without arrogance, although it can sometimes seem too assertive. As one commenter on BrandNew noted, it looks respectable, yet at the same time evokes associations with KitKat chocolate.

Elena Pantyukhina: All designers are familiar with Adobe, an iconic brand in the software world, known for its logo with the letter "A" in a square. This symbol has long been associated with reliability and stability. With each new version of Photoshop, only the preview image uploaded by users changed. However, we are now witnessing a significant rebranding that demonstrates the company's desire to move beyond the traditional static square. Adobe's new visual style reflects dynamism and innovation, underscoring the brand's readiness to adapt to modern user demands and expectations.

The logo block has been transformed into a font logotype, distinguished by its simplicity and modern style. The rich letter sets the tone for the entire typography. All ecosystem logos, including Photoshop, have become more expressive, which is also reflected in the headlines in communication banners and posters. This gives the brand confidence and boldness, emphasizing its modern image and relevance in the market.

The logo's square frame has retained its historical significance, providing an opportunity to display the work of software users. This element highlights the achievements of users and their contributions. The question of possibly borrowing the yellow frame from National Geographic remains open. However, the brands do not intersect in the competitive environment, and the only possible option is their collaboration, which would be quite interesting to observe.

Is it enough for the brand to use only red? It is a powerful color, and the question arises whether it will be too much. There's no definitive answer at this point. However, analyzing media examples, one can see that the original square graphics harmonize harmoniously with the brand's red color. If the color combinations are carefully considered, this system will prove effective. Follow the trends, get inspired!

Andy Martin notes that Mother Design is one of his favorite studios, and he closely follows their projects. A key design trend right now is working with brand structure. This involves eliminating elements that could interfere with communication in order to create a unified experience. As a result, the brand's components were reduced and a combined logo was created. This approach allows for a more effective hierarchy and enhances the significance of the name, where the phoneme, logo, and symbol play a significant role in brand perception.

Amazon

Stefan Laško believes that this is the most successful corporate rebranding of 2025.

I admire the creativity and professionalism of the Koto studio. This project has become a significant milestone in branding and identity for large corporations with numerous sub-brands and products. Koto sets new standards and serves as a role model for all those striving to successfully develop the image of large companies. Their work demonstrates how to effectively create and manage a brand in a competitive market.

The impressive scale and high quality of presentation make this event unique. The storytelling is realized without words, thanks to the careful organization and consistent use of images and animations. This creates a deep immersion into the story and enhances emotional perception.

The logo has undergone a subtle but significant update. The changes were implemented intelligently and are aimed at rejuvenating the brand. The designers strengthened not only the font but also the signature arrow, giving it a richer and more expressive appearance. Now the arrow can be used separately from the text portion of the logo, creating a logical and stylish look. It maintains its dual metaphor, symbolizing the path from A to Z (anything) and reflecting the smiles of satisfied users.

Unlike the Adobe project, the custom font in this design creates a sense of precision and consistency. It blends harmoniously with other elements of the identity, of which there are actually very few. The entire composition works as a single whole, complementing and reinforcing each other. This creates a unique visual style that attracts attention and is memorable.

The color coding of the various areas and clusters appears harmonious and holistic. Its implementation uses a variety of shades that are carefully selected and beautifully combined with each other. This creates a visually appealing and functional interface that promotes better information perception. Proper use of a color palette plays a key role in organizing data and improving navigation, making color coding an effective tool for visualizing complex data.

As various areas of the system develop, the need arises to unify graphic images. This desire to harmonize visual elements is becoming an important step in creating a unified style and improving information perception. Aligning graphic images not only helps maintain brand integrity but also creates a more appealing and intuitive user interface. Brand management of large companies strives to associate their brand with a single image or symbol, such as a smile. To achieve this goal, a number of strategic decisions are made. First, the color palette is enhanced: the smile becomes brighter and wider. Second, contrast is created by using a unique corporate font for logos and headlines that does not distract attention from the main symbol. Third, attention is focused on a single visual element in the layout, which prevents distraction and concentrates on the main point. These approaches help create a memorable and recognizable brand image.

Andy Martin notes that the Koto agency's logo immediately evokes associations with smiles, emphasizing their professionalism. This project, which they worked on for 18 months, was carried out with enthusiasm. The main goal of the changes was to simplify communication and improve perception. The new logo is more rhythmic and clear, replacing the previous arrow-shaped smile with a warm, arrow-shaped smile. However, a key aspect of the work was creating a systemic identity for the entire Amazon sub-brand architecture, ensuring a unified and clear brand perception.

Auto.ru

Stefan Lashko notes positive changes in the trend of customizing logos and fonts of services, which indicates a transition from standard typesetting fonts to more individual solutions. These changes have a positive impact on the visual identity of the brands, particularly in the logos and custom fonts used in the brand identity. The letters "a" and "o" have been rounded and now look more harmonious, like two wheels on a car. The letter "t" also looks stylish and modern. These small but noticeable improvements contribute to the development of the service and increase its appeal to users. Elena Pantyukhina: The redesign was implemented using minimal means, giving the logo a more pragmatic and universal look. The letters have become slightly wider and more geometric, and the round elements of the "a" and "o" have acquired an ideal shape. The dot in the logo has also been changed and is now square, emphasizing the client's final choice regarding placement. The graphic design emphasizes the digitalization and technological nature of the service. The use of a visual label with typography in a monospaced font emphasizes the modern approach. These design elements are reminiscent of the inscriptions found under the hood of a car during its inspection upon purchase. This detail helps establish a trusting relationship between the seller and the buyer, creating a sense of reliability and professionalism.

Andy Martin: The press release raises questions due to the vagueness of the task statement. The use of the term "logo microengineering" is surprising—it sounds appealing, but in essence, it's a redesign.

The logo has become clearer and more harmonious, and perception has been improved thanks to the counter-rhyme. However, the square dot somewhat detracts from the overall impression.

The letter "t" has acquired a resemblance to a character behind the wheel, which can be considered a positive. Although much has been said in the discussion of identity, in this case study, the identity system, unfortunately, is not fully developed. It would be interesting to see its visual representation and details, as this could significantly enrich the perception of the project.

Tula State Pedagogical University named after L.N. Tolstoy

Stefan Lashko: I have long I was analyzing the new logo, trying to decide whether I liked it or not. It's attractive and a little unusual. Compared to the previous emblem, which seems to have remained unchanged since 1938, the new version looks truly innovative and bold. At the same time, the new sign exudes kindness and light irony, contains a story and a historical reference, which makes it interesting. In this logo, I see the unique style of the project's art director. Unfortunately, the rest of the identity is disappointing. It seems fragmented, as if consisting of separate elements that are not connected. The logo emblem looks interesting, but functions as a stand-alone element, not fitting into the overall concept. The handwritten font also does not harmonize with the layouts and raises doubts about its applicability. A more coherent visual identity is needed to create a unified whole that will effectively represent the brand.

The typography in the presented layout appears uneven. Line spacing in headings varies, creating a sense of inconsistency. The use of elements is inconsistent: in some places, the handwritten font overlaps the typeset font, while in others, it is lost in the overall design. Overall, these elements are perceived as separate elements—the logo and the handwritten font in the style of "Tolstoy's handwriting"—that are inconsistent with each other. To improve the design, a more consistent approach to font selection and application should be strived for, which will increase readability and visual appeal.

Elena Pantyukhina noted that at first glance at the updated logo, she had the impression that it was designed by Art. Lebedev Studio. This opinion turned out to be correct. The reason for this perception lies in the bold approach to design, which combines portrait elements with a modern style. Such a logo is more likely to be imagined on merchandise for a contemporary art museum than on the sign of a classical university. The logo update reflects contemporary design trends and a commitment to innovation in the education sector.

The T-shaped logo, reminiscent of a maple leaf, is often perceived by people as a beard, as this is precisely the function it fulfills in portraits. This bearded logo is memorable and creates the image of an educated person, successfully fulfilling all the necessary functions. Thus, it fully achieves its goal of making a statement and attracting applicants.

For official documents, only the letter T is used in the logo, significantly simplifying the process of its application and the layout of forms. This simplification allows for faster document creation and editing while maintaining a professional appearance.

To improve the visual perception of the content, it is recommended to add graphic elements in addition to the maple leaf. This will create a more varied and attractive design. It is also worth choosing a single font to imitate handwriting. The current version uses several fonts with varying weights, creating the effect of different handwriting styles and calligraphy tools. A single font will help achieve harmony and improve the readability of the text, giving it a more professional look.

Andy Martin noted that the lack of information about how the task was formulated makes it difficult to assess the loss of traditional elements in the logo. The new design is bold and bright, creating a fresh and youthful image.

Some details raise my doubts: the inverted maple leaf in the graphic design is reminiscent of the flag of Canada, the font overlay changed the letter "c" to "e" in the word "University", and the application of the identity looks chaotic. These points require attention and can affect the perception of the brand identity.

The system must form a hierarchy of significance for all its elements, so the presence of a second equivalent form of the main block is illogical. The correct structure ensures clarity of perception and functionality, which is a key aspect of effective design.

The idea of ​​​​decoding the letter "T" (Tula, Tolstoy, creativity and other associations) seems interesting, but it remains underdeveloped in communication. This creates opportunities for deeper analysis and discussion of these topics. The expanded content will draw attention to Tula's cultural heritage and Tolstoy's literary significance. It is important to focus on creativity and its influence on modernity, which will help to better understand the connection between these concepts and their significance in society.