Core 77 brings our attention to an article in Graphic Design:usa on logo trends. The GD writer is a bit more magnanimous than us, calling design similarities like these simply “trends.”

Trends are not an accusation of some widespread lack of original thinking. Instead, they are a sign of design evolution in our ever-shrinking world.

The article goes on to list 15 logo trends, with names like Flames, Blow Out, Leaf Like, and Wicker Ball. (I am sincerely hoping these are made-up names and not names actually bandied about the advertising industry. “Surely only the Wicker Ball could represent the unification of our three core industries!”)

The problem is, if these logos are a sign of design evolution, I’m terrified for the future of design. Perhaps these companies have run successful ad campaigns. But I’m not sure how—most of these logos are really, really ugly. Proof after the jump.

The logos are by turns:

lame:

dull:

’80s-inspired:

faintly reminiscent of Pimp My Ride:

There are some familiar faces that I like okay: the Song logo is termed a “Whip;” the Cingular blob-man is one of the “Puffies.” But the dark horse in all this? The logo for the Seychelles. Though even its clean design gets trounced by its preening tropical neighbor. Is good logo design now an offshore activity?

Sorry for the title, but seriously: Who will step up and take responsibility for this bad, bad design?