How to choose a logo: 5 types and how to pick yours

A logo appears everywhere your business does: the sign, the website, the packaging, the profile picture on social media. A good one is recognized at a glance and works at any size. A poor one is hard to read on a phone screen or looks like a competitor's.

Here are the five main types of logo and how to choose the right one for your business.

The 5 types of logo

1. Wordmark

The company name set in a distinctive typeface, with no symbol. It works well for short, memorable names and helps a new brand get its name remembered.

2. Lettermark

One or a few letters, usually initials. A good choice when the full name is long; the letters become a sign of their own.

3. Symbol

An image without text: an object, an animal, an abstract shape. It is very recognizable once people know the brand, but a new business usually needs to show its name next to it for a while.

4. Combination mark

A symbol and the name together. The most flexible type: you can use them together on the website and separately, for example the symbol alone as a social media avatar.

5. Emblem

The name inside a shape: a badge, a seal, a crest. It looks traditional and solid, and suits cafés, breweries and schools, but is harder to keep legible at small sizes.

How to choose

• A new business with an unknown name: a wordmark or a combination mark, so people learn the name.
• A long name: a lettermark or a combination mark with a short version.
• Many small placements (an app icon, a favicon): a simple symbol or lettermark.
• A traditional or local business: an emblem can fit, with a simpler version for small sizes.

What to check before you approve a logo

• Small size. Shrink it to the size of an app icon: can you still read and recognize it?
• One color. It should work in black and in white, for stamps, embroidery and dark backgrounds.
• Different backgrounds. Try it on light, dark and on a photo.
• Similarity to others. Search for logos in your industry: you do not want to be confused with a competitor.
• Timelessness. Trendy effects age quickly; simple shapes last for years.

What to give the designer

A short brief makes the concepts much closer to what you want: what the business does, who its customers are, three words that describe the brand, colors you like and dislike, and examples of logos you like with a note on why.

In short

The right logo type depends on how well-known your name is, how long it is and where the logo will appear. Whatever you choose, check it at small sizes, in one color and on different backgrounds before you approve it. If you want several directions to choose from, order logo concepts: you describe your brand, and get several concepts to compare. Payment is released only after you approve the work.