Symbol? Icon? Wordmark or Lettermark? Combination Mark? Emblem? All of these words describe a kind of logo. But what are they and what do they mean?
Typically, a logo is the first thing a client sees when they encounter a business. It is often how a company is remembered. As the visual representation of a company, a logo reflects a brand’s functions, values, and beliefs. Because of this, a well-designed logo is essential. The kind of logo you choose to represent your company is one of the most important aspects of logo design itself.
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As a logo is designed, many considerations must occur:
- How a logo ties a company’s branding together
- How it appears on marketing material
- What backgrounds and surfaces it will be on
- What you want customers to feel when they see your logo (This influences colors, shapes, words, and styles. Each choice triggers an emotional response.)
When asking, “what is a logo?” answers vary depending on who you ask, and most of them would be right. Simply put, a logo is the visual representation, or mark, of a company. However you define a logo doesn’t change the fact that there are many different ways to “mark” your company. In this post, the five most common types are explained.
Symbol or Icon
First of all is a symbol or an icon. Often used as a result of a companies maturation, this is a simple and bold representation of a company. This kind of logo does not include words, but is the most basic representation of a company. You most assuredly recognize the symbol logos like Apple and Nike.
Wordmark
This kind of logo is uniquely styled text that spells out the company or brand. Companies with this kind of logo often use fonts created specifically for their company. You will certainly recognize common word marks like Disney and Coca-Cola.
Lettermark
Exclusively typographic, lettermarks represent a company through the use of initials or the first letter of a brand. Lettermarks are often used when a company name is too long, hard to pronounce, or is not unique enough to carry its own weight. Lettermarks are used by companies such as Hewlett-Packard and General Electric.
Emblem
Emblems are easily explained. In contrast to standalone logos like wordmarks, this kind of logo encases the company name within the design. Emblems are used by popular brands like the NFL and Harley-Davidson.
Combination Mark
Similarly, a combination mark is just what is sounds like - a combination of two other kinds of logos. Specifically, in this case, a symbol and a wordmark. Companies in this category you’ll recognize are Adidas, Sprint, and Inkling Creative.
What kind of logo do you think is most effective? Are there any specific logos that stand out to you?
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