According to Logodesignsource.com, there are essentially three types of logos:
- Iconic/Symbolic logos capture an essence of the brand or product in their imagery. Think of Nike’s “swoosh” which captures a sense of movement.
- Logotypes (this is where the word “logo” comes from) or Wordmarks incorporate the company or brand’s name in stylized form. Think the “Disney” logo, below.
- Combination forms, like the Starbucks logo employ both an icon (the mermaid) and the name (in a ring around the icon).
According to logo designer Lo Min Ming, “a good understanding of the psychology of colors, typefaces, and shapes is an important part of making a great logo.” He compares the emotion and tone of the Disney wordmark with the impact of the same typeface for a different kind of company or product, as shown below.
Consumers have an amazing ability to recall companies’ identities from the tiniest fragment of a logo, suggesting that the choice of logo is critical both when introducing a brand and when maintaining it over time.
No-go Logos
Take a look at Business Insider’s list of logo fails… although copious resources were likely spent on each one, they do seem particularly awful, as though a manager was phoning it in the day the work got approved. A frequently used example is the logo for the London Olympics in 2012:
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-15-worst-corporate-logo-fails-2014-1#london-2012-logo-1
Are there any logos that you find particularly effective? What are some conditions that make logos more or less critical to corporate identity. For example, would you argue that they were more, or less, important in the B2B space?
https://www.fastcodesign.com/3067393/design-is-political-pledge-now-to-do-your-part
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