When you’re looking to build a strong business or organisation, a solid logo design is a MUST.
A well-designed logo can create loyal followers through simplicity and memorability. Be aware that a logo is the visual representation of a company or brand’s values, beliefs and functions. When designing one, you need to make sure it will represent the business the right way. There are many considerations to keep in mind such as:
- How the logo will look on products?
- How it will appear on advertising and marketing materials.
- How it will tie your other branding or marketing collateral together.
- The thoughts and emotions someone feels when they see your logo. (This is weird to think about, but certain colours, shapes, styles and words all trigger emotional responses which will translate into an emotional response to your business.)
It’s an entire package, not just a small mark. In most cases, it will be the first thing your customers or clients see when they come across your business. No pressure, right?
There are a number of ideas floating around about what a logo really is. If we were to ask most people what a logo is, they would have a variety of different answers, but they would probably all be right in one way or another. The reality is, there are a number of different types of logo “marks” you could choose to utilise for yourself.
Symbolic / Iconic Logo
This type of logo represents the company in a simple but bold manner. In most cases, the image is abstract and stylised to give visual interest. Most companies that use this type of logo will have a very simple main logo, but may choose to create additional alternative versions that appear a little flashier. The human mind can easily remember a simple form much easier than a complex one. It’s best to use a simple symbol or icon if you plan on building a large business. You probably recognise symbol logos like Apple, Shell, Nike and Twitter.
Wordmark Logo
These are uniquely styled text logos that spell out the company or brand name. Many times, custom fonts are created specifically for brands to use across all their marketing and branding collateral. Some examples include Visa, Disney, Coca Cola and eBay.
Lettermark Logo
Lettermarks are exclusively typographic. They use a symbol representing the company through the use of its initials or the brands first letter. Many companies choose to use this type of logo because their initials can better graphically illustrate the company better than the full name (name is too long), the name is hard to pronounce, or it’s just not distinct enough to carry its own weight. Some companies and organisations that use lettermarks include Hewlett-Packard, International Business Machines Corporation, The British Broadcasting Corporation and Volkswagen.
Combination Logo
These logos combine a wordmark and a symbol or icon to give the flexibility for the use of either or both elements across a variety of applications. A well-designed combination mark looks just as good with the elements separate as it does with them together. You might recognise some combo marks like Master Card, Adidas, Pepsi and BMW.
So when you are thinking of having your logo created, you may be asked by your designer if you have seen any logos in your industry which you like the look and feel of. This usually helps your designer narrow down a logo type to work with in order to produce something which can visually represent you and your business perfectly.
Have you got a favourite logo type which you prefer over the rest? Or do you see a change in the type of logos in recent times? Please leave your thoughts in the comments below!
