Graphic designers do have the predicament of dealing with the choice of logo or symbol for a specific client. You will often find some of the newbie designers arguing about having to choose from a vast variety of designs in terms of the different patterns, and even the overall size and shape aspects.
Most importantly, out of all of these, they do have to initially deal with the main problem of choosing a logotype or symbol when working with a client or a company’s requirements. This isn’t fairly easy to choose from as sometimes, the logo and symbol criteria might seem to fit a particular query.
You can take the logo as a more general term that satisfies the words logotypes and logomarks. However, they may look the same when you read them, there is a major difference between the two. Remember that a logo is the personal copyright of a major recognized brand.
Whether it’s a symbol or a logotype, it should be well-designed to portray the essence of the company and be a reflection of the products and services that the company or brand provides. Lastly, it should have an eye-catching and trendy vibe. This is to ensure that the viewers spend time examining the logo.
Difference Between a Logotype and a Symbol
Navigating the world of logos can get confusing, especially with terms like “logotype” and “symbol” thrown around. But fear not, for this breakdown will shed light on the key distinctions between these branding elements.
The core difference lies in their building blocks. A logotype is essentially a logo crafted entirely from text, typically using a company’s name or initials. Think of iconic brands like Coca-Cola, Google, or FedEx. Their logos are all built using stylized versions of their respective names, making them instantly recognizable through creative typography and design.
On the other hand, a symbol relies solely on a graphic element to convey meaning. This graphic can be an image, icon, or even an abstract design. Unlike logotypes, symbols often have a pre-existing meaning that extends beyond a specific brand. For example, the swoosh in Nike’s logo or a peace sign are both symbols. However, a symbol can also be incorporated into a brand’s logo, like the apple in Apple’s logo (which is a symbol combined with the logotype “Apple”).
The key takeaway here is that a logotype uses the power of words to create a brand identity, while a symbol leverages visuals to convey a concept or brand message.
Beyond these two, there’s another player in the logo game: the combination mark. This versatile approach brings together both a logotype and a symbol, creating a logo with a strong visual identity and clear brand association. A prominent example is the Lacoste logo, where the iconic crocodile symbol sits comfortably next to the brand name “Lacoste” written in a specific font.
MORE EXAMPLES OF LOGOTYPES
What we have mentioned below are some of the prime examples of the logotypes. These logotypes are the faces of some of the renowned organizations of the world. As discussed earlier, all of these logotypes utilize the names of the companies quite intelligently. These are NASA, Burger King, Mobil, Canon, HBO, and Amazon, to name a few.
MORE EXAMPLES OF SYMBOLS
Symbols generally take a while longer to digest as they sometimes are a mystery to solve. Nevertheless, these are some of the best symbols of some of the most recognized brands in the world. These are McDonald’s, Apple, Starbucks, Nike, Apple, Puma, etc.
Logotype vs. Symbol For Your Brand
Logotype
We have you covered if you are confused about choosing between a logotype or a symbol for your brand or business.
We’ll discuss each of them separately. First, let’s discuss the logotype. It is suggested that you opt for a logotype when your company has a name that is distinctive from other companies. Or at least it is somewhat to be remembered by someone who spells it out the first time. As you can notice from the examples that we have mentioned above.
Those names are easily distinguishable from the other common names. This is because these are examples of well-researched work by professionals who came up with a unique name for their brand. Therefore, these logotypes have accomplished the task of attracting more and more consumers to their respective brands.
It is also the work of a good graphic designer to create a logotype that is clearly understood by the average person. This is important as the more unique a company name is, the more understanding it requires. Here, clarity is the determining factor in the success of your Logotype. Conclusively, now you understand in what circumstances, a logotype can be a better option.
Additionally, when using a logotype, you also don’t have to worry about spending a lot of funds when it comes to the marketing of your logo. This is because the brand name itself is now being used for marketing and advertisement purposes.
Symbol
For instance, whoever has a glance at your logotype will be informed about what you do and how you do it. Similarly, you also don’t need the high-quality expertise of professional logo makers to contemplate the explanation and motive of your logotype.
Now let’s discuss the symbol’s significance as a logo. Thankfully its importance exists. If you see this from the opposite view of where the logotype is more relevant, the symbol can be a great choice for those brands that have a more common company name. In terms of its creation, the symbol can be crafted after diligently looking after the products and services the company has to offer.
Furthermore, it also requires the main motive of a company which should be reflected in the symbol as well. For instance, in the above-mentioned symbols, the Starbucks symbol represents the significance of coffee, yet explains the origins of the company at the same time.
Therefore, this is an example of a genius designer/s. The work has created Starbucks one of the most renowned coffee brands in the world.
On the contrary, there are certain demerits for having a symbol for a brand’s logo too. For instance, if your brand is relatively small or a small-scale business. For these types of brands, they have to advertise a lot on the visibility and recognition of their logo worldwide.
It is relatively easier for bigger firms to inform other people about their logos. This can be achieved by having in-depth sessions that are focused on informing the specific goals and motives of a brand and its products or services. For instance, apple’s keynote event held every year, aims to inform the users about newly launched products, as well as software changes and improvements.
With that out of the way, let’s discuss some types of logos and how to use them:
Types of Logos and How to Utilize Them
A logo is a company’s face through which a consumer understands a brand perspective about a specific product type or service. The types of logos we are about to discuss here are based on symbols, text, and a combination of both as well.
Every type of logo discussed in this list can provide a different outlook to your brand. This is especially important as the first-time customers will be directly interacting with the logo initially.
Let’s dive in:
MASCOT LOGOS
These are the types of logos that have a prepared cartoon character. They are best for brands that are trying to incorporate contrasting colors. Colors that appear more saturated and provide a friendly, welcoming outlook to the customer or consumer. This can also provide your brand with a sense of a spokesperson.
We say this as the mascot can be animated to make engaging videos about your product or services as well. To be precise, a mascot is a graphically prepared character by the designer that appears a lot friendlier and can provide an extremely positive look to the viewer.
For instance, take KFC’s Colonel Sanders which is their main logo. Mascots are most suited for brands that are associated with brands that prepare products or services for kids. Or brands that have a sub-division for kids’ products.
This is because these types of companies can associate a more welcoming image when it comes to attracting kids. Additionally, if these companies make their mascots present in person at related events, this can be a great way to create an energetic setting to interact with families and their kids.
COMBINATIONAL LOGO
A combinational logo is a logo that comprises both symbols and a unique text format as well. These types of logos can be thought of as more trendy or modern. We say this because more and more companies are adopting this type of logo. The symbol and the text can be arranged in different positions as well. They can be beside each other, in top and bottom positions, right next to each other, in adjacent positions, etc. A good example of this type of logo is the Adidas logo.
The reason that the text is combined with a symbol, can be seen as the way that enforces more clarity and creates a sense of identification in your customer’s mind. For this reason, it is suggested ideally for starting brands or brands that are fairly newer in competition with the more established brands.
With a combinational logo, the customers can have a more easy time remembering the name of your brand and simultaneously the logo can pop up in their minds pretty easily. Additionally, this type of combinational content is ideal for people who are planning to take their brand to the next level in terms of heritage and loyalty. This is suited for trademark purposes as well.
THE EMBLEM LOGOTYPE
Emblem logotypes are more commonly used for teams that are dedicated to specific sports and recreational teams. For instance, a football club based in England’s city of London; Chelsea FC. These types can be in the form of crests, badges, crests, etc. They tend to provide a more traditional look to your brand’s name and image.
Apart from sports teams, these are often also the choice of many educational institutes such as schools and high schools. The high priority organizations such as the government are also more suited to be using an emblem logotype. Some of the automotive manufacturers also tend to prioritize emblems as they put emphasis on heritage and legacy in terms of their products and services.
Apart from being traditional, you might have guessed this one, they are also much more classical in terms of their overall vibe. Some good examples of these kinds of logos can be the Harley Davidson logo, BMW logo, or the Starbucks mermaid logo.
Moreover, there is also a hybrid theme going on these days. This essentially means that companies are opting for more modern fonts in combination with classical crests. The combination in this regard turns out pretty dope. We recommend the Manchester City logo that has been modernized in this regard.
However, a drawback in this regard can be the intensive detailing that is found in the emblem logos. For this very reason, it can be difficult to incorporate these logos in your brand’s merchandise. This is because no matter how premium your printer is, it can miss out on the important details of an emblem logo. This can mean that the logo is not quite up to the mark when it comes to displaying its characteristics on clothing and other material-based objects.
Therefore, keep this aspect in mind when trying to incorporate an emblem logo in your design. Lastly, you will see very few restaurants and food-based brands that use emblems in their logos. For this reason, if you use it correctly it can make your brand stand out. If used poorly, it can affect the reputation of your brand as a whole.
MONOGRAM LOGOS
Monogram logos are logos that consist of the initials of a company or brand’s full name. Examples of these can be KFC, IBM, BMW, etc. Another reason why initials might be a good choice for a brand can be the lengthy name of a brand. Lengthy names tend to be forgetful when it comes to thinking from a consumer’s perspective. Therefore, it is more beneficial for a company to think about using the initials when it comes to using a logo.
Furthermore, to explain this in detail, a monogram is a typography-related logo. It’s all about how constructively and intelligently a graphic designer incorporates the initials of a brand’s name in a specific logo. It is much more feasible for a person to say HBO than remembering the full form of it. That being said, it seems like not many people have an idea of what the initials of HBO stand for. For nerds, it means Home Box Office.
For the very reason that the monograms use initials for a logo. It is quite important to use the correct font. This is to emphasize the initials that are being highlighted in the logo. Just using any type of font and making it bold wouldn’t do the job. Make sure that you have all the required information about the two basic font types: serif and san-serif.
Apart from this, it is also vital to know which type of font will work best with your brand. To give you a basic idea, serif fonts tend to be more elegant and put importance on the heritage and value of the brand.
They are generally more suited for brands that have been operating for a long time. The san-serif fonts are more modern. They are more suited for brands that are involved in any sort of technological service or product.
PICTORIALS
A pictorial can be thought of as a symbol or icon that is eye-catching and stands out from the rest. You can take the example of the infamous Nike logo. It is just a swoosh. Yet it represents all the professional athletes of every sport in the world.
The significance of the pictorial is very unique. It must be the first thing that comes to the reader’s mind when they think about a specific brand. For fairly new brands, the pictorials can be a challenge. For this very reason, it is important to start with a text-based logo and change it to a pictorial when your brand is well-established and renowned around the world.
The main essence of pictorial marks is that their loyal customers can easily remember the brand’s logo even when they are woken up from a deep sleep.
One of the main challenges a brand might face is how they are going to decide what should be. This is important as the company’s pictorial logo is going to stick around for an eternity. Most companies are opting to create a pictorial that contemplates a deeper meaning and makes the viewer think about the logo.
Again, the Starbucks is a prime example here. The whole company’s origins and the true essence of coffee are being portrayed in that logo. Therefore, you might want to study this logo and understand the views of the designer who created this logo.
Furthermore, using different colors in your logos can mean that it is having a different psychological impact on the viewer’s mind.
Wrapping Up
Conclusively, it can do wonders for your business if your logo is correctly made. A good logo is a portal to the company’s dimension of comfort, and customer satisfaction most importantly.
Furthermore, we encourage you to hire graphic designers who have prior experience with renowned brands when it comes to making a personalized logo for your brand.
This is because the more pleasing and informative your logo is, the more customers you can have. Simultaneously more sales can be generated.
