For a business, a logo is like a personal stamp or signature.
It conveys a sense of professionalism and suggests the business can be trusted.
Let's learn the language of logos.
When we ponder our personal identity, we think about what makes us different?
In business, a brand identity or logo reflects the organization's point of difference.
They build recognition and even loyalty
where the audience is likely to return again and again
to purchase the brand's products and services.
A logo is the starting point of a brand and sets a business on their visual path.
Great logos just make sense. They feel simple and unforced.
But as with most things that appear effortless,
a lot of energy thought and effort goes into their execution.
Understanding logo categories helps us design and discuss them
and consider why particular design decisions have been made.
A word mark is a text-based treatment of the business name.
It's where the business has decided that
its name is the most important thing to be recognized and remembered.
The words are the logo.
And font is essential in conveying the vibe of the business.
For example, history and importance are conveyed
in the black letter typeface of the New York Times logo.
The Jeep wordmark in a bold sans serif is simple, functional, and restrained.
The typography suits the style of car.
The Coca-Cola wordmark is a free-flowing and energetic script.
Tiffany and Co. uses an elegant and prestigious serif.
It could be argued that the particular shade
of Tiffany blue or the Coke red is equally memorable.
A monogram is also a typographic treatment.
This time focusing on the business initials.
Consider a very traditional monogram like when someone's initials
are embroidered on a handkerchief.
Something that is personalized has a special quality.
Monograms are often used when the name of a business
is a person's or family name.
The initials of someone's name plus that personalized special quality
combined to give monograms of prestigious elite or luxury feel.
For example, the initials of Louis Vuitton and Coco Chanel
are represented in these very recognizable monograms.
Such as the prestige of a monogram, a brand might create one from only one initial.
The trick? Repeat the letter.
Here are some examples from renowned fashion houses like Givenchy and Fendi.
Monograms are suited to being placed on clothing and objects
as they have a refined badge-like appearance.
For instance, a team logo on a baseball cap.
Modern monograms use the initials in any font or arrangement of letters.
Bang & Olufsen use an elegant sans serif font
and dynamic arrangement of letters in their monogram.
LG arranges the letters to symbolize a smiling face.
General Electric more widely known as GE has used
the same monogram for more than a hundred years.
Volkswagen's simple stack of V and W has stood for 80 years
with only small adjustments.
Pictograms are derived from an image or icon.
The famous ones don't even need a business name alongside.
We know who they belong to.
For a large, renowned organization, this sense of familiarity is very important.
Think of how immediately recognizable the Nike swoosh is.
Like monograms, pictograms can be used at a very small size
like on a mobile phone screen.
Here, they identify a brand without any surrounding information.
They're a refined image or idea possibly even a bit abstract,
more of a representation designed down to its essence.
The evolution of the Instagram logo is a great example of this process of refinement.
Today, it's a representation of a camera rather than a literal image.
The Apple logo has been refined in a similar way although it still looks like an apple.
Understanding different logo types enables you to
choose the best approach for clients.
However, these categories aren't always clear-cut.
Consider the Toyota logo. Often considered a monogram because it's a T.
The logo is also a pictogram.
Some see an abstract bull or a man in a cowboy hat,
but actually, it's a wordmark.
Similarly, the beats logo this is a letter b, so it's a monogram.
But looking closely, it's also a pictogram.
A representation of a head wearing headphones.
The FedEx logo is a well-known wordmark.
But have you ever noticed the clever pictogram within?
The arrow represents the forward-moving service that FedEx provides.
It's okay if categories overlap or terms are used in different ways
as long as you understand the concepts.
Categories are useful tools.
A business often requires more than one.
They may require the business name spelled out,
but also want a monogram or a pictogram.
These can be used in different ways.
Start looking around you.
Being able to observe, understand, and discuss different types of logos
is the first step in designing fantastic ones for your clients.