Types of Logos

When you’re trying to build a brand, a logo is one of the cornerstones of its identity. A logo should capture your values, mission, and personality all in one and set you apart from the crowd. The best ones not only reflect a brand, but are also easily identifiable regardless of context or platform.

But did you know that there are different types of logos?

If you’re at the stage of creating a logo for your brand, or you’re going through a redesign, then you might be wondering exactly what type of logo to choose. This article will give you a deeper dive into brand logos as a whole.

Based on my own experience working with 450+ client logos through my Squarespace website design business, these tips will give you the confidence to understand how your new logo can apply to your brand, ensuring whatever you choose is the perfect fit.

What is a logo and why do you need one?

A logo is text or imagery (or a combination of the two) that is used to create a visual symbol for your brand.

Some logos feature a brand's name, whereas some have become so synonymous over time that they no longer need the name to be recognizable—for example, a famous set of golden arches or a piece of fruit with a bite taken out.

Having a well-designed logo builds trust in your brand and legitimizes you in the eyes of your audience. Logos are also a great way to showcase your brand’s identity and leave a memorable impression on people, helping them to easily recognize and identify your brand in various environments.

Types of logos

There are different types of logos that you can choose from for your brand. Let’s take a look at some of the most commonly used and the best ways to use them. For many people just starting on their branding journey, a wordmark or lettermark is a simple place to start without the help of a design expert.

Wordmark logos

Wordmark logos are some of the most commonly used logos. A wordmark logo features a brand name in a stylized font and brand colors.

If you’re creating a wordmark logo you can either create a special font especially for your logo or you can choose an existing font that aligns with your brand’s personality. 

Wordmark logos are great for brands with short and catchy names, but if you do opt for one, make sure it’s easy to read.

Lettermark logos

A lettermark logo is similar to a wordmark logo but uses the brand’s initials instead of its full name.

These are a great choice if your brand has a long and complex name that would be too much for a wordmark logo. Like wordmark logos, a lettermark logo is designed in a stylized font and brand colors too. 

Lettermark logos tend to be all about keeping things simple, so are often created using simple, easy-to-read fonts. They’re also usually pretty small, which makes them easy to adapt to different platforms. For instance, you couldn’t use a full wordmark as your brand’s favicon, but a lettermark would work well.

Pictorial logos

A pictorial logo is an image or symbol used to depict a brand and pictorial logos offer some of the most easily recognized logos on the internet. Squarespace, for example, has a pictorial logo. Other examples would be ticks, stripes, and rings. You probably have an image of the brands just from those worlds alone, which shows how powerful this type of logo can be.

Choosing the right symbol for your pictorial logo is a huge decision. For example, do you want to play on your brand's name and use something related to that? Do you want to focus on what your brand does? Or do you want to tie in with your brand morals and ethos?

Pictorial logos usually use existing symbols and if you opt for one, you need to be sure to choose something that can grow with your brand and is timeless. Don’t be tempted to choose a pictorial logo that’s “on trend” as it may date quickly.

Abstract logos

An abstract logo is similar to a pictorial logo, but instead of being a recognizable symbol, it’s an abstract combination of shapes and colors that represents your brand.

Abstract logos potentially offer the most creative freedom out of any of the logo types, as you aren’t confined to using pre-existing images or text. Instead, you can quite literally create anything, allowing you to convey your brand’s character and values without restriction.

Opting for an abstract logo requires you to have a strong brand identity in place and you’ll need to be clear on exactly what you want your logo to represent to an audience. If you are clear on that, then this logo type can be a great choice for your brand, especially if you operate in different countries and languages, as you can be sure that your logo won’t be mistranslated or mean something different in different cultures.

Mascot logos

Mascot logos are logos that feature a character who acts as an ambassador of your brand. The mascot is an illustrated character, either fictional or real-life, who represents your brand. 

Mascot logos are a great way of getting people to connect with your brand as audiences often connect best with other “people” and they are also perfect for brands that want to showcase a fun, family-friendly personality.

A mascot logo won’t be for everyone, especially if you want to create a more professional vibe, and remember, they can often take considerably more design skill and resources than other logo types.

Emblem logos

Emblem logos are where a brand includes images, text, and other visual elements all neatly together inside one shape, such as a shield or circle. They are often in the shape of a crest and create a very regal and traditional look for a brand. 

Emblem logos work well for more traditionally professional industries, such as education or government bodies. As they’re usually so intricate, brands will often create a simplified version that can be adapted for different platforms and use cases.

Combination logos

A combination logo is a logo that combines two or more different logo types, such as a pictorial logo and a wordmark, or a lettermark and an abstract. On Squarespace’s homepage, you’ll see a combination pictorial and wordmark logo in the top left corner.

A combination logo will usually feature an image or symbol and either the name or initials of the brand. The pictures and text can be displayed side-by-side, on top of each other, or integrated together.

Combination logos are a great way of building brand recognition as they allow people to see your symbol alongside your brand name. This means that in the future you may well be able to use the picture or symbol on its own too.

Some brands will also create a combination logo as their main logo but then split it up into text and images for various uses. This is something I have done with my own business. We have a wordmark logo in the website header and then use a pictorial logo everywhere else, such as our favicon, forms, and social media channels. Feel free to experiment and don’t be afraid to iterate until you get it just right. Even if that means having more than one logo type. 

Choosing the right logo type

So now that you understand the different types of logos, how do you decide which one is right for your brand?

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you’re deciding.

• What you want your brand to represent: If you’re keen to target a family audience, then a mascot logo may work well, while those in a more traditionally professional industry may opt for an emblem.

• Where your logo will appear: Your logo will likely appear on your website, social media channels, packaging, marketing materials, and maybe even on physical products. Therefore, it’s important that your logo can be adapted.

• Current trends in logo design: Recently, we’ve seen gradients, sticker-style, and lowercase lettering all become popular. Try to opt for something timeless and that is a true representation of your brand to ensure it doesn’t become dated.

As mentioned before, often brands that choose a combination logo will also break up their logo into the image and text for different purposes. You may feature the full logo on your website, but opt to just use the pictorial part for your social media icons.

That said, your logo can change. Brands almost always iterate and tweak, so don’t be afraid to get it wrong. If you do, you can always change course and try again.

How to design a logo

Once you’re ready to design your logo, you need to decide if you’re going to do it yourself or if you’re going to hire a professional.

Your logo must be professional, high-quality, and available in a range of formats that can be adapted to different platforms. If you think this is outside of your skillset or you simply don’t have the time, then it may be best to bring in the expertise of a professional graphic designer who specializes in logos.

If budget doesn’t permit, you have another option. You can design your logo with a free tool, like the Squarespace logo maker. This will get you started and allow for instant changes to get a good visual representation of how your logo could look.

In the logo maker, you can choose a title (i.e., your business or brand name), tagline, and icon. Then you can choose to have either one, two, or all three of them together. It’s completely up to you. This will help you quickly create something that you can put out online and get feedback on, completely for free. It’ll also show you your logo mocked up on a business card, t-shirt, and most importantly, your website.

From there, you can move forward with your creation, embellish it on your own, or take it to a creative as the basis for a final design.

Remember, your logo needs to represent and grow with your brand. Think carefully about what style will work best for you and play around with various iterations before making your final decision.