We see logos everywhere. It’s hard to think of a brand, whether it’s Walmart or McDonald’s, without instantly picturing its logo. They surround us, shaping the visual language of the world we live in.
These simple images might seem small or even insignificant at first glance, but they carry a lot of weight.
Logos impact how companies are seen by customers, investors, and even other businesses. They shape first impressions and leave lasting ones. But where did they come from? What’s the history of logos, and how did we get to the designs we know today?
It’s only natural to wonder how we landed on the idea that a single image or symbol could represent an entire brand, even before brands, as we know them, existed. To understand that, we have to go back to where it all started. Let’s take a look at the history of logos.
The Start of Logos: Symbolism
Around 3200 BC, the ancient Egyptians were the first to start using hieroglyphics. This marked the beginning of symbolism as a form of communication, something that would eventually grow into what we know today as logo design. About a thousand years later, they began incorporating grids into their symbolic designs, making things more structured and intentional.
But even long before that, back around 70,000 BC, people were already painting animals on cave walls. These early drawings were, of course, primitive, but they were a sign of something deeper: creativity, expression, and the use of symbols to convey meaning. It may not have been “design” as we think of it now, but it was the beginning of something much bigger.
The Egyptians, often seen as one of the most advanced civilizations of their time, are widely credited as the first true developers of logo design. Their hieroglyphics were packed with meaning, with each image standing in for a word, concept, or idea.
They also used color intentionally, much like we do today in logo design, to represent specific emotions or ideas. And it wasn’t just Egypt. All over the ancient world, symbols were being used to represent ownership, trade, or services; everything from cattle to early versions of storefront signage. It all goes to show that using visuals to communicate has been around a lot longer than most people think.
The Next Big Move: The Medieval Logo Design History
During medieval times, logo design started to shift and take on a more visible role. Coats of arms were used to show a family’s status and property, especially among the nobility.
Heraldry quickly caught on, and before long, coats of arms weren’t just for royals; they were being worn, displayed, and passed down by people across different social classes.
Around this same period, the earliest versions of shops were starting to appear. Shop owners began hanging signs outside their businesses with symbols to show what kind of goods they sold. These signs served a practical purpose, helping people identify a shop at a glance.
While these early shop signs weren’t logos in the modern sense, they were among the closest things history had seen so far: visual markers tied to identity, trade, and recognition.
Logo Design Emerges During The 20th Century
By the time of the Industrial Revolution, printing had begun, and with it came advertisements, signage, and the development of papermaking.
At this point, businesses were springing up left and right, and with that, it became more important than ever for companies to start thinking about branding. It wasn’t just about what they sold, but it was also about how they were recognized.
Many drew inspiration from the past, borrowing symbols and art styles from ancient Egypt and the Middle Ages. Logos were created from images of farm animals, seascapes, tools, flags, and more.
These early business marks may seem basic to us now, but they were functional and memorable, enabling people to associate specific visuals with particular products or services.
As time went on and design tools became more refined, logos began to evolve into more modern forms. The early 1900s saw companies like Coca-Cola and Ford introduce logo designs that would go on to be iconic. Typography started playing a bigger role, and companies began developing custom letterforms and typefaces to distinguish themselves from the competition.
Logos weren’t just symbolic anymore; they were becoming signature. Unique. Owned. By the mid-20th century, with the rise of mass media, logos were no longer just local identifiers—they had become global.
Modern Logos and the Digital Era
Fast forward to today, and logos have taken on an even more critical role. With the rise of digital branding, social media, and online storefronts, logos are now everywhere, scaled down to a tiny app icon or blown up on a billboard. They have to be adaptable, instantly recognizable, and often minimal.
Modern logo design focuses on clarity, brand personality, and the ability to work across dozens of platforms and formats.
From flat design trends to responsive logos that shift shapes depending on the screen size, we’re now living in a time when a logo has to do more than ever before.
But even with all these changes, the root purpose of a logo hasn’t changed: it’s about identity. It’s about recognition. It’s about creating a visual shortcut to what a brand stands for.
Whether it’s a bold wordmark, an abstract icon, or a clever combination of both, logos are still the things people remember and what brands are built on.
Conclusion
So, what is the history of logos? As it turns out, they’ve been with us all along. From the earliest cave paintings to hieroglyphics, from medieval coats of arms to modern minimalist wordmarks, logo design has always been about one thing: creating a visual language that people can instantly connect to.
While the tools have changed and the styles have shifted, the goal remains the same: to communicate, to represent, and to be remembered. The next time you see a logo, whether on your phone screen or a passing truck, just know: it’s part of a story that’s thousands of years in the making.
