A logo is a symbol or design used to identify a company or organization, as well as its products, services, employees, etc. In its simplest definition, a logo identifies. It's how your company is recognized and remembered among others. It also functions as the face of your business.
LOGOS ARE A PART OF EVERYDAY LIFE
7 Types of Logo Designs
There are seven categories of logos. Each type has unique advantages. Let’s look at each kind of logo out there to help determine what logo is the best fit for your brand.\
1. Emblems
Emblems are just about the oldest form of logo. Also known as seals or crests, people have been using them since at least the middle ages. An emblem is a type of logo that includes text inside of a symbol. It’s a classic look that gives your logo a traditional quality. That’s why you’ll often see them used by schools and government agencies — they make everything feel nice and official.
Why should you choose an emblem?
• Your brand wants to convey a sense of tradition and/or longevity.
• You are looking for your logo to convey a sense of gravitas.
Why might you avoid an emblem?
• Your logo needs to scale. Emblems don’t look great shrunk down really small (like to favicon size on a website), and don’t read well from far away (like on a billboard).
2. Logotypes or WordMark
Also known as a “wordmark,” logotypes are logos that are built entirely of the word or words that make up the company’s name. The main focus here is typography, obviously. This style of logo strongly ties a brand’s visual identity to the name of the company.
Because of this, you’ll have to choose, or create, your font carefully. The shape, style, and color of the words convey almost as much meaning as the words themselves. This is even more important if your company’s name is a nonsense word, like so many are these days — Google, for a very prominent example. When the company name is small and not famous. The Coca-Cola logo is a hand-lettering logo.
The Google logotype is impactful because the font is simple and elegant — like their products — but made up of many colors. The different colors represent the multitude of results.
Why should you choose a logotype?
• You’re a new company that wants to get your name out there.
• Your brand has a short name that won’t feel overwhelming when plastered everywhere as a logo.
Why might you avoid a logotype?
• You don’t want to update your logo regularly. Fonts follow trends. Helvetica may be all the rage these days, but in a few years, it may feel as dated as the neon bubble letters of the 80s. Even Google and Coca-Cola need to update their iconic wordmarks to stay fresh.
• Your company name is really long.
3. Monogram or LetterMark Logos
If this sounds like your company, a monogram probably makes more sense than a logotype. This style of logo focuses the name down to the memorable parts. You probably refer to HBO as HBO, rather than Home Box Office. If that’s something you’re looking to achieve, the monogram is a no-brainer for your brand.
Home Box Office International Business Machines Corporation National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Why should you choose a monogram?
• You want the tie between your name and visual identity, but have a really long name.
• You work in an industry where shortening your name to initials is common
(looking at you, law firms!)
Why might you avoid a monogram?
• You’re a new company and aren’t yet established. In this case, you can still use a letterform but may wish to include your full name below until you develop a reputation.
4. Brand Marks or Pictorial Mark
A pictorial mark (sometimes called brand mark or logo symbol) is an icon—or graphic-based logo. It's probably the image that comes to mind when you think “logo”: the iconic Apple logo, the Twitter bird, the Target bullseye.
Pictorial marks are the opposite of wordmarks. They are symbols without words. Most easily-recognized pictorial logos started out in a “lockup” with a wordmark company name. Over time, through repeated exposure, the symbol itself became associated with the brand.
Why should you choose a pictorial mark?
• Your brand name lends itself to being drawn literally. The Apple logo, for example, is a clear example of a brand name being drawn literally. It makes more sense for their brand to use a pictorial mark than a wordmark or emblem.
Why might you avoid a pictorial mark?
• You want to be seen as traditional and serious. It’s not impossible to use a pictorial mark if you do, but selecting the right image is more of a challenge.
• You’re still nailing down your product or service. Picking an image too early could lock you into a particular way of branding your company. You may want to start with something more versatile and adapt a brandmark at a later date.
Abstract Logo Marks
Sticking with pictures, but moving away from literal representation, we have the abstract logo. This logotype is used when you want to use an image, but don’t want to be constrained by a literal representation. BP China Logo.
The Nike Swoosh: it’s fast, dynamic, and conveys a sense of movement and energy. You don’t need to see the word Nike to know the brand behind the product or advertisement.
Why should you choose an abstract mark?
• You want a pictorial element to your logo, but want to create a more serious tone than most literal pictorial logos create.
• You want something truly unique.
Why might you avoid an abstract mark?
• You haven’t totally solidified your brand identity. Since abstract marks convey feelings, you need to know what kind of emotions you’re trying to create in your customers before developing imagery that does that.
6. Mascots
A mascot is different than the above pictures and symbols in that it’s a drawing of a particular person (or, at least, an character). As human beings, we’re visually attracted to seeing another human face (again, even if it’s “really” the face of a cutesy cartoon character).
A mascot ties that positive feeling to your logo and brand. Mr. Peanut can have different expressions and representations depending on the context. Mascots are commonly used for sports teams, service companies, and food brands, as they are attempting to familiarize themselves with potential supporters, customers, and consumers.
Why should you choose a mascot?
• You want to appeal to families or children.
• Your brand thrives on being fun, friendly, and upbeat.
• You want something flexible that can grow with your company and be used in diverse ways.
Why might you avoid a mascot?
• Your brand needs to give off a serious vibe.
7. Combination Marks
Not everything in the world is black and white. You don’t have to choose just one type of logo. You can combine any or all of the above ideas. You can combine a mascot with a wordmark, or embed your monogram into an abstract logo. A brand mark can be supported by a logotype, and both aspects of the brand can be separated and used for different scenarios.
Think about Dove — the brand uses both a brand mark (the dove) and the wordmark (Dove) together, while just the brand mark imprinted on its products. Combination marks are really the “have your cake and eat it too” of the logo world.
Why should you choose a combination mark?
• You want the best of several worlds.
• You want a future-proof logo that can adapt and change with your business.
Why might you avoid a combination mark?
• Your brand is focused on simplicity; combination marks can get busy and be more complicated to use. (Do you put the whole logo on your business card or just the wordmark? Where is it appropriate to use your mascot vs. monogram? etc.)