What are the different types of logos? What are the hallmarks of a good logo?
Logo is a small but significant part of branding. It serves as an identification mark to recognize the product (or products) of an organization or the organization itself. As pictures could always convey more than what words do, a logo should reflect the complete culture, characteristics and spirit of an organization. Accordingly organizations design different types of logos. Let us go through some of them:
·
Word mark logo:
A logo that
is only centered on a business’ name and is based on the font used to design it
is called a word mark logo. ‘VISA’ and ‘Coca-Cola’ are excellent examples for
word mark logos. For companies with different or abbreviated names, choosing
word mark logos would be a good option. The logo of ‘Google’ is another apt
example for it.
Identification
of a strong brand is generated with the help of a logo when a brand name itself
being different and attractive is combined with the art of strong typography.
Furthermore, at this point of time, the selection of a desired typography is a
crucial decision to be taken. Since a word mark logo is centered upon a brand’s
name, the font used to outline it should be appropriate enough to capture the
very essence of the brand. This point of view could be explained stating two
examples: one, thin and medium sized fonts are used for fashion brands; two, at
the same time traditional and large sized thick fonts are used for authorized
or government agencies and organizations.
If your
business is a new one and your business’ name is different and attractive, then
adopting a word mark logo will be a good choice. Also it has to be noted that
word mark logos are best suited for short brand names.
·
Pictorial
mark logo:
A pictorial
mark (sometimes called brand mark or logo symbol) is an icon or a graphic based
logo. The moment one thinks about what a logo is, some pictorial mark will be
the image that appears in his mind. Logos of ‘Apple’ and that of ‘Twitter’ portraying
a bird are two examples. Not only that those logos are very symbolic but also
that those companies are recognized based on their logos are equally important
factors.
A realistic
brand symbol is nothing less than a picture. For this reason, this would be a
strategic type of logo that new companies or companies lacking a strong brand
identity could use. When a company decides to move ahead with a pictorial mark
logo, the biggest factor to be considered is nothing other than the picture
selected for the purpose. The picture selected should align with the value of
the company’s products or services.
·
Abstract
mark logo:
An abstract
mark is a special type of pictorial mark logo. It is actually a geometric form
that represents a business rather than a known image. The logos of ‘Pepsi’,
‘Adidas’ and ‘Nike’ are some popular examples. Like any other type of logo,
abstract mark logos also help the process of branding since it condenses the
entire brand into a single picture. Instead of limiting your brand logo with some
familiar picture, using an abstract mark logo will help in branding with some peculiar
shape or structure.
Through
varied colors and structures used, abstract mark logos can create a meaning,
cultivate and spread an emotion all around a brand. This can be illustrated
with the logo of ‘Nike’, known as ‘Swoosh’. It can be associated with the freedom
and flexibility necessary for one’s body movements as its origin traces to the wing
of the Greek goddess of victory, Nike which is symbolic of speed, movement,
victory etc.
·
Logo
system:
A logo
system could be explained by going back to the logo of ‘MTV’. Their logo
evolved several times through varied color schemes. But they kept their
identity with a constant basic design. Similarly, even though icons of various
products of ‘Google’ like ‘Google Meet’, ‘Google Assistant’ etc are different
from each other, they stick to an identity. This is logo system. Here a logo is
made different according to the diversity in products or changes in situations,
without changing its identical character. Logo system can be used by companies
only if they produce very distinct and different types of products.
·
Monogram
logos:
Logos consisting of alphabets are known as
monogram logos or letter marks. ‘IBM’, ‘HP’, ‘HBO’ are some brand name initials
formed using the first letters of the words of long names. They use two or
three letters of their brand initials to remember their brand identity. Since
letter marks are based on alphabetical series, it is a practicable method of
approach to companies with long brand names. For example, one could remember
the organization, ‘National Aeronautics and Space Administration’ easily when
it is abbreviated to ‘NASA’.
·
Mascot
logo:
In Mascot
logos, cartoon drawings of individuals or some other cartoon figures are used.
The logo of ‘KFC’ is the best example for this. This type of logo attracts
children and families to a greater degree. Companies like ‘Starbucks’ use
emblem as their logo.
What are the qualities necessary for an
admirable logo?
·
Simple: a
logo should be designed in a simple way that even children could draw it with
ease and recollect it effortlessly.
·
Flexibility:
a logo should be one without much detailing or minute designs such that it is
adaptable both to a 100 m long banner and even to the edge of a visiting card.
Regardless of the color chosen for the logo, it must be outlined in a way it is
distinguishable.
·
Identifiable:
logo must be in an identifiable form. It needn’t convey a message always. A
logo must be created in a manner that it gets recognized by people.
‘Beauty is
only skin deep’. This is also applicable when it comes to logos. What a logo
needs is not beauty. We may not like a logo at a glance. Just as the famous
proverb quotes ‘Rome was not built in a day’, it takes time for a logo to
become strong. This is what history proves.