LOGO
TYPES
Need of
LOGOS
The logo is a touchstone of
the branding process. What
seems to be a simple picture,
becomes a strong identifier of
a brand, and has its own
impact on a viewer.
LOGOS HELP TO
Hint on what to
Set the tone
expect from a
(First Impression)
brand
Get noticed and
Evoke
recognized
memories of
interaction with
a brand
Identify the brand
How to choose a
Logo Type
There are so many different types of logo
design.
The types of logos are chosen according
to a list of factors, including the target
audience, the emotion to convey, the
name of a brand, and much more.
Mainly there are 7 types of logos
▪ Word Mark
▪ Letter Mark
▪ Pictorial Mark
▪ Abstract Mark
▪ Mascot Logo
▪ Combination Mark
▪ Emblem Logo
Word mark Logo
As it’s understood from the name the Logotype or a Wordmark will
consist of text only. Usually, it’s the company name.
What business should consider using a wordmark logo, instead of all other
types of logos?
● A young business that wants to create buzz around their name. A great way to boost recognizability.
● Businesses with catchy, creative names: a wordmark is a way to highlight it.
● Businesses with short names.
● Client's name is a brand.
What to consider
● Make sure you use a suitable font. Since the attention is focused on the name
of the brand, the only way for you to become noticeable and memorable is by
choosing the font that reflects the essence of your brand.
● Make sure your brand name is not too long.
● Make sure the design of the logo reflects the identity of your business. For
example: creating a wordmark for an elegant jewelry brand you don’t want to
choose a big, bold, and chunky font.
Lettermark logos
Lettermarks are logos that contain only a few letters – usually the initials
of the brand name.
What business should consider using a letter mark logo
● Business with a long name: people won’t likely remember long word combinations. Using an abbreviated logo helps in
such cases. People will remember CNN, but not Cable News Network.
● Businesses with hard-to-pronounce names.
● Businesses with ethnic names, that are hard to memorize – if you’re planning on scaling and catering to global audiences.
● A scalable business, that will need to often replicate a logo on branding materials.
What to consider
● Make sure you use a suitable font. Since the attention is focused on the letters,
the only way for you to become noticeable and memorable is choosing the
font that reflects the essence of your brand.
● Make sure it is scalable. Since you are using words – letters essentially – you
want them to be readable, and scalable to different sizes.
Pictorial mark logos (Logo Symbols)
Pictorial marks are graphic logos that are created around the first
association with the name of a brand. Usually very simplified to be more
memorable.
What business should consider using a Pictorial logo
● Businesses wanting to convey a certain emotion, idea, or even services through the very first impression on the client.
● Businesses with long names.
● Businesses with names that can be easily interpreted into a picture, for example, Apple.
What to consider
● Make sure you think in the long run. Remember that what you put on your
logo will be tied to your brand in people’s minds. If you’re planning to scale in
the future, don’t use anything very specific, like a pizza – for a pizza place that
may become a restaurant later.
● Make sure to choose the picture rationally: consider the impact on people, the
emotion you want to convey, or the possibilities to play off of the image.
Abstract mark logos
One of the most creative logo design types. Abstract mark helps represent the business,
but not in a literal way. A designer uses geometric shapes, forms, and other elements to
symbolize the identity of a brand
What business should consider using a Abstract logo
● A company that has a few different specializations. All of the service areas can be incorporated in an abstract mark,
creating a perfect representation of your business.
● A business that wants to stand out. A well-designed abstract mark will be closely tied to your brand. Remember, almost
40% of brands use wordmarks. You can choose another way to be remembered. When you earn a name on the market,
you will have a distinctive mark that nobody else has.
● A business that wants to evoke emotions, rather than thoughts.
What to consider
● Make sure all the elements of an abstract mark is well designed according to
your brand’s identity. It doesn’t need to be overly complicated, you don’t want
it to be misunderstood.
● Make sure you created your brand identity and thought it through. Since it is
highly based on emotions, you need to be sure which one you want to be
representing.
Mascot logos
Mascot logos are the ones that include illustrated characters. They often represent a
brand as a spokesperson, thus personalizing a brand, and allowing people to think of it
as a human being.
What business should consider using a Mascot logo
● Businesses that cater to families and children.
● Businesses that want to establish close, friendly relationships with their customers.
● Food, beverages, and sports are the industries you will see Mascot logos the most often.
What to consider
● Complicated and detailed designs might be difficult to use on small printed
materials like business cards.
● A mascot logo is not the right choice for a brand that wants to create a serious,
credible, and authoritative position.
Combination mark logos
A combination mark is a type of logo design that includes a symbol or an icon, and a
wordmark. Among all the types of logos, this one is the most versatile.
What business should consider using a Combination mark logo
● A brand that needs a flexible logo, that can be used in different mediums: both elements, or just one of them.
● A business that leans towards using imagery but wants to create a strong association with its name.
What to consider
● Try to stay clear of busy designs as they are hard to remember. Combination marks can become too complicated in
a desire to fit in all the identity elements into one image..
In recent times, it is getting more likely to see brands using not one type of logos,
but a combined one.
With the new social media introduction, and new mediums appearing it has
become more important to have a flexible logo, that looks good everywhere.
Brands are more often using an Icon + a letter mark/word mark type of structure.
It’s worth to mention that both elements are rarely seen together, but rather
separately – each on its own place, on it’s own medium it’s more suitable for.
Emblem logos
Technically speaking an emblem logo type is a text inside an image. The design takes its
roots from family crests of the middle ages, and royal stamps of monarchs.
What business should consider using a Emblem logo
● Companies that want to ensure the audience that their brand dates back and knows what they are doing.
● This type of logo is generally used within the education sphere, but not limited to it.
What to consider
● Make sure your emblem logo is scalable enough to be printed. Emblems tend
to have a lot of details that can be easily lost.
logo design principles to follow
● Make it simple
● Design for an audience
● Make it memorable
● Make it timeless
● Make it versatile and scalable
● Use a quality typeface
● Be strategic with color
● It should look great in black and white
● Make it balanced
● Stay on brand
