I consider myself extremely lucky to live in such a vivacious, edgy city as Austin, Tx. – A city where its normal to be riding a unicycle while flaunting a hundred tattoos and piercings; normal to jog the greenbelt with blue hair pushing a stroller with a chihuahua nestled inside; and normal to have a minimum of 50 different beers on tap at any number of local eateries.

But one of the most fascinating and stimulating visuals this city has to offer myself, is it’s consistent ability to stay on the latest branding trends with its wide array of typography displays.

Vintage and retro logos are, have been and may well always be on trend. They offer versatile elements you can split up to design various promotional materials (growlers, t-shirts, stickers, menu design and more).

I’ve attached a few samples of snapshots I’ve taken around my time in Austin, that I keep in my “logo inspiration bank”:

The formula is quite simple:
1.) FONT: Find and tweak or tailor a unique vintage, hand-written font.
2.) ELEMENTS: Any small graphics to center the name are vital. Stars, scrolls, ribbons, swirls, shapes of Texas/states, etc are crucial.
3.) COLOR: I find a black color, coupled with a rusted gold or white color – scream vintage.
4.) SHAPE: Adding a logo version that can be housed in a nice circle offers a nice label affect.

Here are a few vintage/retro logo designs we have completed and/or proposed for our beloved clients.

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Keep your eyes open around your city. Vintage typographic inspiration comes in all forms. All cities have old rusted, metal signs that utilized unique font treatments. What treatment can you apply to your next design?