How do I know if my logo is generic?

Cover the name. If the symbol could sit on a competitor's sign without anyone noticing, it is generic. Reverse image search will often find near-identical marks.

Are wordmarks generic?

Not inherently. Many of the strongest logos are wordmarks. They become generic when set in a default font with no distinctive decision.

Is it worth redesigning a generic logo?

If the business is growing and the logo will appear on more surfaces, yes. A distinctive mark compounds recognition; a generic one never will.

Generic Logo Designs: 6 Clichés to Avoid and What to Do Instead

Why generic logos happen

Speed and safety. The first idea is the obvious one, the client recognises it, and nobody objects. Logo generators and stock icon libraries make the obvious idea one click away. The result is a mark that says "company" instead of "this company".

What this article covers.

The six clichés

1. The V-man

A stylised human figure with arms raised in triumph. Used by clinics, consultancies, charities and gyms. It signals nothing except that a figure was available in the icon library.

2. The globe

Meant to say "global"; says "1990s IT company". If reach matters, show it through the brand story and the website, not a sphere with latitude lines.

3. The upward graph or arrow

Finance, consulting and marketing agencies by the thousand. Growth is the promise of every business; drawing it adds nothing.

4. The swoosh

The curved line under or around the name, an artefact of 2000s corporate design. It survives because it fills space. It should not.

5. Industry clichés

A tooth for a dentist, a house for a realtor, a bean for a coffee brand, a scale for a lawyer. Literal, and identical to every competitor. Relevance is about tone, not depiction.

6. Interchangeable wordmarks

The company name in a default geometric sans, tracked out, in a safe blue. It is not wrong; it is nobody's. A wordmark needs one distinctive decision: a custom letter, an unusual pairing, a deliberate colour.

What to do instead

01Research the category and list every visual cliché in it. Ban them.
02Find what is specific to this business: the founder's story, the place, the method, the name's meaning.
03Sketch twenty ideas; discard the first ten.
04Develop the two or three that could only belong here.
05Test on real mockups and at 16 pixels.

That is the process behind unique logo design, and the reason a proper brand identity project starts with research rather than drawing.

Common questions

How do I know if my logo is generic?: Cover the name. If the symbol could sit on a competitor's sign without anyone noticing, it is generic. Reverse image search will often find near-identical marks.
Are wordmarks generic?: Not inherently. Many of the strongest logos are wordmarks. They become generic when set in a default font with no distinctive decision.
Is it worth redesigning a generic logo?: If the business is growing and the logo will appear on more surfaces, yes. A distinctive mark compounds recognition; a generic one never will.