Transparency

Let's face it: The old rule that dictated that any really well-designed logo had to A) be reproducible in only one color, and B) that color had to be solid, not screened is gone. Sure, there are still challenges to be faced in playing fast and oo9se with these rules when a job must actually go on press, but the internet is much more forgiving.

There are many logos today, like the MSN butterfly, that have transparent qualities that reveal themselves through multiple layers. These designs can be very compelling especially since they are still novel enough to stand out from the already crowded world of flat one, two- and three-color logos.

1. mires for Fusion Media 2. Cato Purnell Partners for Neil Henson Fashion Bytes 3. Landor Associates for Altria

Green

This is a literal and metaphorical trend. The roots for this can be traced back further, but Landor's greening of BP was a seminal effort. Although Raymond Loewy was using green and yellow in the historic BP logo, Landor gave it an environmental sense of place with the use of the flower/sun. Cargill, ADM, and Monsanto-all companies that might be likely to take an environmental hit-are all going green. It's a trend that is a breath of fresh air in an industry that is awash with red, white and blue. Public utilities have also picked up on this trend. But if it is overplayed, corporate green will soon become a tired joke to the public.

1. Enterprise IG for Monsanto Company 2. Landor Associates for BP 3. Kiku Obata & Company for Ameren Corporation