Why should you care about your logo style?

You might not notice them, or the important part they play in our lives, but throughout our day we are constantly surrounded by logos.

That is why as a business owner it’s important to pay attention to your logo, and every little detail, because it’s often the first thing a potential customer sees when they interact with your products or services. 

Where do I start creating a logo?

If you are not a graphic designer chances are that you probably have never had to think about designing a logo. But if you run a small company and want to take a DIY approach, you’re going to have to think about what logo style you want to choose?

Businesses learn to differentiate themselves using these logo styles, this is important because as your business grows your logo will become a crucial asset

Remember that a good logo will have a strong visual impact, and will stand out from the rest of your competitors.

When you enter the marketplace, nailing the right look is a critical first step for any new business, and knowing the difference between the logo styles available to you will give you a huge advantage.

If you just started, or have a small team and need to take a DIY approach to design your logo, then keep reading.

I’ll break down each logo style, and give you some inside tips so that you can pick the right one that matches your business, personality, and values

Pictorial Mark

This logo style is probably one of the most popular because of how instantly recognizable it can be, the imagery used is reduced to its simplest form, and it’s normally pulled or inspired by some real-world object.

However just because the logo is simple, doesn’t mean it will automatically become associated with your brand, this is why it’s important to add elements that are representative of your brand’s personality and values that your customers will recognize.

Finding the right mark to use can be difficult, and some new businesses may find it difficult to use this kind of strategy if they’re new to the market.

As you introduce new products and services remember that it may take some time for your customers to adjust and recognize your logo. Until they do, you may want to consider pairing your Pictorial Mark, with a Wordmark

If you’re going to use this approach, consider what kind of object will best represent your business? Will it be a literal representation, or will it subtly suggest your values and messaging?

You might find yourself feeling tempted to add trendy elements to your Pictorial Mark Logo, but avoiding this mistake will save you time in the future, a timeless look will not only save you time but also money when you don’t have to update your logo to stay current.

Tip: Develop a strong tone of voice. Once your company gains recognition, a well-designed pictorial mark can become very memorable.

Examples include: Shell, Apple, Twitter, Target, Instagram, Snapchat

Abstract

Another popular logo style is abstract. This kind of logo avoids real-world objects and literal representations and instead relies heavily on symbolism to carry out its message. You’re not restricted by everyday images and icons that your customers are accustomed to seeing.

As you can imagine from the name, the form or shape of the logo is abstract and leaves the customer exploring its significance well after initially meeting the brand.

Because the abstract logo will act as a single reference to your business, there are a few things you may want to consider before moving forward with this style.

Make sure you have solid brand messaging and use that to create a geometric shape, and invoke the proper emotions from your customers, this will give you a chance to create something unique to your business.

Like the Pictorial Mark, this logo style can also be a bit risky when you’re new to the market, not everyone views abstract images the same way, so you must be clear about the kind of response you want from your customers. However, with a strong design strategy, your logo will be instantly recognizable.

Tip: An abstract logo can help you overcome barriers if your name does not easily translate well into other languages, so again, make sure your shape isn’t too complex.

Examples include Nike, the Adidas flower, and Pepsi.

Wordmark

If you want to design a spectacular Wordmark logo, you’re going to need some spectacular typography to go with it, that’s because typeface, style, and color will create the entire identity. 

It’s a simple, yet impactful approach, once the font and style are set you are free to mix in other elements and create variations of that logo. 

This logo style works well if your business has a name that’s unique, attractive, and easy to remember. When you combine this with great typography, it creates a unique logo.

Since your name will be front and center it’s important to pick a typeface that reflects your company’s personality.

A modern brand will typically use a clean sans serif typeface, while more trendy companies might require a more elaborate, or possibly a custom typeface. You can always throw a curveball in the design by slightly styling one letter.

Tip: This logo style typically doesn’t work well if your company has a long name, you may want to consider using a letter form logo instead.

Examples include: Wix, Coca-Cola, Subway, eBay

Combination Marks

Of course, you sometimes don’t need to stick to just one single style for your business, a combination mark uses several different logo styles. You can combine symbols with letters, or wordmarks with abstracts to create something that stands out.

The key is having a good balance between your text and symbols. And like all of the logos on this list, the shapes, and markings you use will be essential to building trust with your customers so make sure they are in line with your business values.

But the great thing about this logo is that once you gain some exposure, you can be more flexible with your brand mark.

Tip: If your goal is to have a minimalistic look, this kind of logo may put you on sensory overload.

Examples include: Doritos, Dove, MailChimp, Lacoste

Letter Form

This kind of logo, also known as a letter logo, includes the first letter of the company’s name only. They are usually small, scalable, and have very minimal detail, a designer will often combine this with a wordmark logo.

When creating this logo style, make sure you are using an easily readable typeface, as the logo will need to be visible on everything from social media profile pictures, to app icons, and more.

The tricky part of creating this logo style is that it only has one letter, so make sure your logo is balanced. You can use vibrant colors, decorative typefaces, or find other elements that will resonate with your customers.

Brands that are already established might find this option to be a good choice.

Tip: Brands with long names will also benefit from a single letter form.

Examples include: Facebook, McDonald’s, and Pinterest

Emblem

If you want a traditional feel, and a professional image, then the Emblem logo is just for you. This logo style has stood the test of time, and often has much more detail than other styles, it combines text and symbolic imagery to form a design that looks like a crest, shield, or badge. 

It’s important to consider the industry you are in before landing on this style. It’s a popular choice for sports teams, universities, government agencies, and the auto industry. 

The intricate details in this may make your Emblem logo less scalable, so if you are going to use this style you may want to consider a minimal approach. 

The good news is that once you finalize your logo, the chances of another company having the same design are pretty small.

Tip: This could be a good choice if you want to add a slogan that reflects your brand’s message.

Examples include: NFL, Harley, Warner Brothers

Dynamic Logo

This logo style is a peculiar one, because of the many forms it can take on. At its core, this style is very basic, and its framework allows the logo to live in any environment.

Because this logo form is so basic, it may seem as if the designer just threw a random selection of icons or images together, but in reality, this is a very thoughtful, and strategic approach to communicating the brand’s message.

If the industry you’re in requires your brand to stay fresh and innovative, a dynamic logo style might be the right fit for you.

But just because this logo is flexible, that does not mean you should go crazy, it still needs to reflect your company’s personality, and once your customers start to make positive associations with your brand you will want to nurture that connection.

Tip: a Dynamic logo is good if your business is inherently energetic.

Examples include MTV, Virgin, and Nickelodeon.

Conclusion:

Becoming familiar with these common logo styles will provide you with a huge advantage when it comes to creating your logo.

And with the right logo design strategy, it won’t be long before loyal customers will only need a glimpse of your company’s image before instantly recognizing it.

Now if you would like to take it a step further and design your own logo, then stick around, and I’ll show you the foundations of a logo, help you better understand your business personality, and share some of my top logo strategies, and tips.