The logo - the cornerstone of the brand

The different types of logos

Figurative mark
A figurative mark is a logo that revolves around a symbolic image or sign.

Figurative marks represent certain concepts or ideals, just as a stick figure represents a person. Figurative marks need to make the most of visual communication. But they can be incredibly powerful tools to change or reinforce people's view of the brand.

Different shapes convey different ideas: Circles, for example, tend to come across as playful and laid-back, whereas squares symbolize stability and confidence. Editing abstract shapes can give the brand a unique look - the same goes for color, size and the use of negative space.

A well-known example of a figurative mark is the Twitter logo - everyone immediately knows what it is.

Advantages of figurative marks:

• Highly personalized and unique

• Leaves plenty of scope for creative ideas

• If used correctly, a picture can convey more than a thousand words

• Flexible in application

Disadvantages of figurative marks:

• You need a good knowledge of graphic design to exploit the full potential

• Risk of being too similar to another figurative mark

Word mark
Word marks include all logos that contain text or letters, be it the company name or someone's initials.

A wordmark tends to promote name recognition and is associated with more traditional and formal branding. To successfully create a wordmark, it is important to consider how well the typographic style matches the brand identity.

It's a mistake to think that wordmarks are easier to create than figurative marks. In fact, you might think they are even more difficult to design than logos. However, both require design decisions such as composition, size and color, but wordmarks also have to deal with typographic decisions.

A good example of a wordmark is the Coca Cola logo. It has that special lettering that everyone knows and everyone knows what it is.

Advantages of a word mark

• They look more traditional and classic

• Ideal for increasing awareness of a name

• No risk of the brand being confused

Disadvantages of a word mark

• Fewer options for creative designs

• Don't work well for long or difficult to pronounce brand names

• Can quickly look outdated as font trends change quickly

The combination: The word/figurative mark
The combination of the two logo types mentioned above produces an effective result. Basically, combined word/figurative marks are the best of both worlds, but here again you have to weigh up how much it suits the company.

Advantages of a word/figurative mark

• Suitable for increasing awareness of a company name that still wants to use a figurative mark

• The advantages of both logo types can be used in combination here

Disadvantages of a word/figurative mark

• By combining word and figurative marks, the result is usually larger and cannot be used as flexibly

There are so many options for designing a logo, but it is always important to choose a logo that perfectly represents what the brand or company stands for. Because the logo is the Most important element of branding. That's why we are happy to help you with this too!