The 7 types of logos (and how to use them)

A logo is an image that symbolizes your business. But did you know there are 7 different types of logos?
Though they’re all a combination of typography and images, each type of logo gives your brand a different feel. And since your logo is the first thing new customers will see, you want to make sure you get it right. Want to choose the best logo type for your business? Here are the 7 types of logos you need to know about:

1. Monogram logos (or lettermarks)

Monogram logos or lettermarks are logos that consist of letters, usually brand initials. IBM, CNN, HP, HBO… Noticing a pattern, yes? They’re the initialisms of a few famous businesses with rather lengthy names. With 2 or 3 words to remember, they’ve each turned to using their initials for brand-identification purposes. So it makes perfect sense for them to use monograms—sometimes called lettermark logos—to represent their organizations.

A lettermark is a typography-based logo that’s comprised of a few letters, usually a company’s initials. The lettermark is all about simplicity. By utilizing just a few letters lettermark logos are effective at streamlining any company brand if they have a long name. For example, how much easier is it to say—and remember—NASA versus the National Aeronautics and Space Administration?

Because the focus is on initials, the font you choose (or create) is very important to make sure your logo is not only on-theme with what your company does, but also legible when you print on business cards. Also, if you’re not an established business already you may want to add your full business name below the logo so people can begin to learn who you are right away.

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Do you have any advice for freelancers who also work and parent at home?

The best advice I can give is schedules! I know its hard with little ones, but scheduling is everything. When I first started full-time freelancing on 99designs, I had three little ones ages 7, 5 and 3. It was hard, to say the least.

At first, I would work while they were eating or doing an activity like watching TV. I pretty much worked a few minutes here and there throughout the day answering any questions clients had and taking note of what I needed to work on later. Then, after the kids went to bed (at 7pm exactly), I would work late into the night.

As the years went by and I had more children, something wonderful happened. My older kids became big enough to help supervise the younger ones, so I was able to work more.

Since I homeschool my children, our schedule revolves around their school and my work. While they are busy with school (an online academy), I can work. I take a break for lunch and continue working from 1:30 to 5 pm.

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What prompted you to go freelance?

Well, a lot of things. The biggest reason was that I wanted to be a stay-at-home mom. I freelanced as a counselor online before I started to design. Now I can’t imagine working outside the home. The flexible hours let me homeschool my kids, which is very important to me. I want them to have an applied education at home rather than a set curriculum at a public school.

I started freelancing to earn an income and be at home with my kids. I continue to freelance because I love design and seeing my work out in the world.

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top tips for balancing full-time freelancing with family

a Coulter (aka Daylite Designs) was one of 99designs’ earliest adopters and has worked full-time on the platform for more than a decade. As a versatile graphic designer and stay-at-home mom, working online from her home office has given her the flexibility to raise and homeschool her seven children—while still embracing her passions professionally.

Over the years, Daylite Designs has built a steady roster of loyal clients, often taking on new work thanks to their referrals. While she doesn’t spend as much time on contests now (this year was a personal best, thanks to an increase in direct work), she credits those early years for giving her the freedom to experiment with different projects and styles to find her creative voice.

We spoke with Daylite Designs about how she manages her busy schedule, her tips for prioritizing family while keeping clients happy, and her advice for maintaining long-lasting working relationships through it all.

😀

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What makes a good hotel logo?

How do you communicate a hotel experience through abstraction? How do you contain your core values and history in just a few memorable words? These are important questions to ask to begin visualizing how your logo may take shape. You want your logo to communicate the essence of the experience you are offering your guests.

Even without design experience, it’s important to consider the context for where your branding is headed. As you start thinking about your logo design, you should ask yourself the following questions: Which category does my accommodation fit into? What’s the feeling I want to evoke in my guests? What’s the style that would fit the vibe and atmosphere of my hotel or B&B?

Your guests will encounter your logo in numerous places, from your front door and reception desk to your restaurant menu and spa towels. Your logo should seamlessly fit into and enhance your guests’ experience during their stay with you.

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Punny and funny logos

Humor is one of humanity’s most enduring forms of entertainment. If it’s the kind of entertainment your brand delivers, make jokes in your logo. Get your audiences laughing, or at least exhaling audibly, the moment they see your logo because if that’s how your relationship starts, they’ll trust you to keep the laughs coming.

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What makes a good entertainment logo?

It’s not enough for your logo to just be entertaining. Your logo has to communicate who you are, what you do and why your target audience cares. Once you’ve got your brand identity down, your need to flesh out unique ideas that will work for your logo.

Because you’re in the entertainment industry, you’ve got pretty wide leeway to get weird with your logo. Compare it to, say, the financial services sector. Financial services logos have to communicate knowledge of the best financial practices, trustworthiness and financial security.

As an entertainer on the other hand, your logo needs to communicate that you make audiences feel things. You might make them laugh, you might make them examine their lifestyles, you might make them cry, you might make them sit on the edge of their seat. You need to assure them that they’ll feel the emotion they’re after. A good entertainment logo captures that.

Study the logos used by other brands in your specific section of the entertainment map to see what might work for you. Take cues from them, but be careful not to stick to any of these logo ideas too closely—there’s a fine line to dance between fitting in and getting lost in the crowd.

You want to make your brand stand out from its competitors, but you also want your logo to make sense to your audience and to let them get a sense of what you do and what they can expect from your brand. Read on for some inspiration, so you can get it just right!

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THE VALUE OF A LOGO.

How much should a logo cost?
Well, isn’t that another $64,000 question – what is a logo worth? Is it worth
hundreds, or thousands of dollars? Can we even put a dollar value on
something that will represent your company for (hopefully) its lifetime?
That all depends on whether you approach the branding of your company
as an expense, or an investment in the future of your company. If you view
your logo as a simple expense – in the same category as say, FAX paper, you
probably won’t view it as being worth very much. Using the time-tested
philosophy of ‘you get what you pay for’, and if your logo is simply a pretty
picture that you want to slap on a few printed papers and the right-hand
corner of your 3 page website, then you might be well enough served by
shopping for your new logo design based on sticker price. Get it cheap. Get
‘er done.
If, on the other hand, you view your logo as an investment in the overall
picture of your company, a flag around which you, staff and customers can
rally, then your logo is going to be worth a lot more. And worthy of the
extra time, and expense, involved in doing it up right. That’s not to say you
have to break the bank to get a great logo – you don’t – and it’s up to you
to decide how much you pay for your visual identity.
The value of a good logo.
What is a logo’s value? The answer varies from case-study to case-study so I
can’t speak for every business owner. I can, however, speak about someone
close to me and her company. Pretty well everyone on-staff views their logo
as a bad logo. It’s been around for years (it was designed by one of the
founders’ children as part of a series of ‘expense saving’ in-house logo
design contests) and no-one has the courage to even suggest changing it.
In the development of marketing and advertising materials, rather than the
usual ‘make the logo bigger’mantra, the directions usually involve making
the logo smaller (while certainly refreshing, this was due to lack of
confidence in the logo as opposed to anything clever). The logo has been
hidden. Ghosted. Screened to almost invisible levels in the background.
Sometimes, the logo wasn’t used at all (this became so prevalent that a
recent management directive makes it an official company policy to use the
logo in its un-tampered version). Sum result – the company has no

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THE VALUE OF A LOGO.

consistent identity or brand. Which is a pity. The company is in the
community service field, sends out a bucket load of brochures and tri-folds,
prints a ton of event T-Shirts, banners and trinkets. The logo is on the side
of the building and I’m sure that they lose a great deal of walk-in business
because no-one is making a connection between the brochure they just
received in the mail, and the big building that’s down the street. Everybody
on staff knows this, but rather than change the logo (and risk offending
someone ‘upstairs’) they trudge on, marketing services without a cohesive
banner to market them under. Is their bottom line suffering? Placing a
dollar figure on the loss would be impossible, but I’d argue yes, and I’m of
the opinion that this outfit is in dire need of an effective logo. As are many
companies in early phases of start-up. In terms of the value of a logo,
perhaps we should take a look at what you can, or should, expect from your
new corporate identity.
Will a logo make or break your company?
So what can you expect from developing a logo for your company? Will, for
example, a good logo build a business? No. If your business comes from
word-of-mouth or referrals, I’d argue that you don’t even need a logo. A
new company name will suffice (or even your own name if you’re pushing
the personal touch). It’s only when you’re trying to market, compete and
promote your company against other folks would it really become an issue.
If you ‘own’ a particular business sector, why bother with the expense, and
hassle, of a custom logo work-up (unless you’re interested in ‘looking
good’)? If, on the other hand, you don’t ‘own the sector’ you’ll need an
arsenal of marketing ammo to grab the market attention, and in a few
nano-seconds, communicate that you’re better, faster, cheaper (or whatever
particular ‘hook’ you’re trying to promote). You need to stand out in a
cluttered landscape and truth to tell, your company logo is but a part. How
much of a part? Depends on what kind of marketing you’re trying to do.
Sometimes, it’s critical. On many occasions, you won’t have the real estate
to write a war-and-piece diatribe about your company – you’ll ONLY be able
to use your logo and a few scraps of type. You’ll need something eyecatching,
as well as at least a hint of what it is you do. Ask yourself honestly
– does your current logo do that? If not, it should. A good logo can also
lend ‘instant’ credibility to your organization pretty quickly – and can help


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DOYOU NEED A LOGO?

Selling your company to strangers.
Once again, if you’re simply filing tax returns on behalf of friends and family
for a few bucks on the side, none of this is an issue. Simply naming your
company should be enough. If, however, you’re trying to sell you services to
strangers – and have but a few seconds to convince them that you are
exactly what they’re looking for, you need to think about branding your
company. Because that’s what a great logo (and related branding) is all
about. Convincing strangers that you are the best (or at least very good) at
what you do.
Strangers you ask? Sure – let’s take another example. Let’s say your
homemade chili was such a hit at family picnics you decided to sell it at the
local farmer’s market for a few bucks a jar. You could probably still get by
without a logo on the jar and your booth. Captive audience, word of
mouth, returning customers and a limited production capacity (how big is
that crock-pot really?) combine to render a logo less than critical. If I
wanted to be a stickler here, I could also argue that if the chili is good, a
good branding workup will help move it through attention grabbing
branding. I could also point out that if your chili is, in reality, simply
mediocre – family members can be very forgiving – a good identity is
practically a prerequisite. You’ll have few return clients and you’ll always be
looking for new customers. It might also behoove you to have a flyer
through which your word-of-mouth referrals can find you. I am, however,
trying to avoid nuance here, so I’ll stick to my original black and white
point.
So, while it’s true that not every company or business needs a logo, it can
similarly be argued that in some instances a decent corporate identity is
absolutely critical to the longevity and growth of others. And only by taking
a long, hard look at what you want to accomplish with your entrepreneurial
aspirations, can you decide which applies to you.

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Inspiring Everyday Graphic Design Articles

inspirational things are often right in front of us. It might be the typography on a book cover, the colors of your favorite music album, the opening titles in that movie you saw yesterday. To celebrate all those little moments of inspiration, we have compiled some resources for you which honor the beauty of graphic design and the ideas behind it. Perfect to squeeze into a short coffee break. Enjoy! We learned not to judge a book by its cover, but, honestly, there is nothing quite like browsing through a bookstore, soaking up covers, their colors, their typefaces, their layouts, every little detail. The variety is endless, and sometimes you’re lucky and find a little piece of art shining through the sheer mass.

Artworks On Your Bookshelf

We learned not to judge a book by its cover, but, honestly, there is nothing quite like browsing through a bookstore, soaking up covers, their colors, their typefaces, their layouts, every little detail. The variety is endless, and sometimes you’re lucky and find a little piece of art shining through the sheer mass.

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Classification

In English, fonts are classified into several groups.
There are three main groups.
1. Serif
2. Sans-Serif
3. Script
Serif: A serif is the pointed ending of a stroke as in “I” or “T”.
This is inspired by the letters carved on stone, using chisels.
Thickness of the strokes also changes in these letter forms,
like those drawn by flat brushes. Serif fonts are known for
their readability and is widely used in text composition for
books, newspapers, magazines etc, where a large amount of
text is to be composed in small point sizes.
Sans Serif: Sans means without. Sans serif means without
Serif. Sans serif fonts have blunt endings to the strokes.
Almost all the strokes look like equal thickness, as if drawn
by a marker pen. Sans serif fonts give a modern look and
is widely used in logos and symbols, packaging, signages,
websites, mobile phone interfaces, gaming consoles etc.
Script: Script fonts recreate the visual styling of calligraphy.
The letters imitate the feeling of calligraphic nibs, with a
slant to the right and changing thickness of strokes. These
fonts give a festive and personal look to the reader and are
very commonly used in wedding invitations.

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How To Typography

Typography is the science of using letter forms for
communication. We use letter forms extensively in
our daily life, in various media like newspapers, signages,
application forms, letters, notebooks, textbooks, currency
notes, posters, tickets, SMS, email etc.
A very large number of digital fonts are available for a
graphic designer to use in design projects. A designer carefully
chooses fonts after understanding the design problem, the
medium, target audience, production aspects and the context.
Fonts have unique characteristics and need to be carefully
chosen and used to achieve good results in communication.
For example, newspaper designers spend a considerable
time in experimenting with different fonts in different sizes
to create a final design which helps a reader to go through
several pages of a newspaper with ease and understand the
text comfortably.

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Design Principle Positive

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Anatomy of a Font

As human body has many parts for identification like head,
neck, shoulder, arms, tail, foot etc., Type Forms or Font face
are also divided into parts, which we study under ‘anatomy
of fonts’. Some examples you will see below:
• Shirorekha connotes headline
• Skandharekha, is equivalent to shoulderline
• Padarekha means baseline
In future you will come across words like tail, arm and
swish etc.
The size or formation of these anotamical parts of a font
actually help create the typical charactertics and expressive
qualities of any font family.
Uppercase and Lowercase
Capital letters are called “Uppercase” letters in typographical
terminology. During handcomposing, metal type of all capital
letters were stored in the upper section of wooden boxes, kept
in front of the person composing the text. Similarly, all small
letters are called “Lowercase” letters, which were stored in
the lower part of the composing box.
Ascender
Ascender is the portion of the alphabet that ‘ascends’ or
exceeds above the ‘x’ height of an alphabet as in b, d, t, l.
Descender
Descender is that portion of an alphabet that goes below or
extends downwards from the ‘x’ height of an alphabet as in
g, j, q, p.
X-height
Height of lowercase “x” is called “x-height”. This varies
considerably in typefaces. X-height contributes to the
readability of fonts.
Counter Space
The empty space or negative space inside a letter form is
called a counter. Shape of the counter varies according to
the designer who creates the font. Counter space also helps
in identifying different fonts. These shapes can be creatively
used in creating logos.


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Seven Design Principles

Design principles are guidelines. Designers follow principles to develop purposeful
compositions. As with an architect’s plans, design principles orchestrate the construction
of a visual message that is strong enough to support all the graphic elements that will be placed on a blank page. Design principles also help visual communicators forge a link between information content and the structure, so each reinforces the other,
communicating a single message. Design principles are cross-disciplinary. The concepts are general and can be applied to any situation where a visual communicator wants to express a message. In this research, design principles are defined in 7 categories :

Contrast

Contrast shows the differences between figure and ground of a design.

Contrast can also be used to emphasize a certain element in a design. 

In the example below, even though the figure shown is the same size in both illustrations, the one on the right appears more dominate (or larger) due to the higher contrast in value to the ground.

Balance

Balance refers to the distribution and visual equilibrium of the elements that causes

the total image to appear balanced or unbalanced. Balance can be either symmetrical or asymmetrical in a design. Asymmetrical composition is always more dynamic than

symmetrical composition because of the visual tension that occurs when the proportions of negative space around the figure vary.

Unity

Unity is a condition or quality of design that is achieved when individual elements or parts are grouped. Unity helps the design to be seen as one unified whole, instead of random, isolated elements in the design.

Rhythm

Rhythm is the tempo of visual movement, achieved through repetition of line, shape,

or color. Similar to music, rhythm establishes a visual pattern. That pattern can be

perceived as busy or repetitive.

Proportion

Proportion is the relationship of visual elements, one to another and to the whole.

There are 3 kinds of proportion that are regular, irregular and progression.

We consider them particularly in relation to size, shape, color and value.

Differing proportions within a composition can relate to different kinds of balance

or symmetry, and can help establish visual weight and depth. This can create

compositions that range from the static to the dynamic.

Movement

Visual movements are used by designers to direct viewers through their work, often to focal areas. Such movement can be directed along line edges, shapes, and colors

within the composition.

Harmony

Harmony means keeping elements in a state of agreement in which all sections of the pattern make other sections complete. It is the opposite of contrast and implies simplicity of design. Harmony does not interrupt, but allows for smooth even fl ow.

Impact

Similar to Gestalt theory, the Seven Principles of Design enable designers to help readers access and comprehend content more effectively. These principles are critical because they not only affect readers but also designers. Through the help of the Seven Principles of Design, effective design solutions can be constructed and implemented in print media layouts, delivering a more successful visual communication.

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Gestalt Theory: Grouping Laws

Proximity

Elements tend to be grouped together according to their nearness.
As the example shows, four circles to the right appear to be in one group whereas two circles to the left appear to be in a separate group of their own.
This is due to the fact that a larger gap exists between the two groups than exists between each individual circle.

Similarity

Items similar in some respect tend to be grouped together.
Even though all shapes have the same space in between, four squares form a group
and four circles form another group. This phenomenon is caused by elements that are similar in line, shape or form.

Closure

Items are grouped together if they tend to complete some larger entity.
The empty space in the middle of the top row implies a square to complete or close
the outer rectangular perimeter. The human mind tends to enclose spaces by completing
contours and ignoring gaps between shapes.

Continuation

Items appear to be in a continuation of direction if they align in a linear order.
Three circles appear to be on the same rising line in this example. The human mind tends to perceive continuation in smooth succession rather than abrupt changes in direction.

Figure / Ground

Some objects take a prominent role (the fi gure – A), while others recede into the
background (the ground – B). In both examples, the circle is the fi gure and the rest of the area within the square is the ground (background), but one is more prominent than the other. This phenomenon is made possible by contrast of the circle to the ground.

Impact

Both the Gestalt theory and simple readability are based on the tendency of typical
human perception. As these principles illustrate (proximity, similarity, closure, continuation and figure/ground), there are a number of areas where visual perception and Gestalt principles support good readability. Both the Gestalt Grouping Laws and Readability approach
emphasize that one perceives objects as well-organized patterns rather than as separate
component parts. In addition, the “whole” (layout) is something that is more structured
and cohesive than separate elements (paragraph).

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Use “white space” in print design

The use of negative space in print design is often called white space—
it’s the space that doesn’t hold any content and it’s usually the key
aspect of what makes or breaks a design. It’s also worth mentioning
that white space doesn’t have to be white. Your background can be
any color you wish; however, be sure to leave empty space. The effect
will be the same as if the empty space was actually white.

White space in print design is used purely for semiotic value: a
presentation that transcends economic values by insisting that the
presented image is more important than the paper it’s printed on. For
example, take this DL fl yer for a fashion product. Straight away you
can tell that the edgiest and most valuable fashion product would be
the last design shown below. This is achieved by using an unpredictable,
asymmetrical balanced composition with a lot of white space,
showing that the image is more valuable than the paper itself.

Although the other two designs are acceptable examples, they
don’t communicate as much prestige and class as the one immediately
above this text. This shows just how much power white space
can give to a design.

Although there are numerous ways to apply negative space to a design,
the best way to come to grips with the concept is to practice. In the
same way martial artists have to spend hours and hours practicing
simple techniques, graphic designers have to do the same.

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Design your website with negative space

In between columns, images, copy, and just about everything else on a
website, there’s negative space. It’s our job as designers to maximize this
space to its greatest potential so as not to crowd a website. We must use
negative space to intelligently organize text and graphics to give visual
relief to the user’s eyes, and we can do this by treating negative space as
a crucial design element. Take notice of how much spacing is between
your margins, columns, images and lines of text to effectively de-clutter
your website.

For example, in this mockup website for a watch, generous amounts
of negative space convey a sense of good taste and refi nement. This
amount of negative space may not be appropriate for your design. To
guide you in your own designs, take the time to study how other good
webpage layouts use negative space.

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How To Negative space in photography

In photography you’re dealing with aperture, shutter speed,
lighting, and focus at every moment, and whether you know it or
not, you’re also dealing with negative and positive space. As we
discussed earlier, we define negative space as being the empty
space around the subject of the image. It’s this space in photography
that’s the most crucial aspect in nearly all compositions—
having too much or too little negative space can completely
ruin a potentially good photograph.

If you’ve been taking photos with your camera and everything is
right technically but you feel something is missing, then it could well
be your composition. Pay close attention to the negative space around
your main subject, as changing the slightest thing can improve or
reduce the quality of your photos. Consider this example: The two
compositions use different amounts of negative space. The generous
use of negative space in the second image of the plane makes it much
more pleasing, as it draws the viewer to the subject and stabilizes
the image.

The best method to learn how to master the use of negative space
in photography is to practice. Remember that negative space is always
related to the edge of the image (i.e., the frame) and it’s not constant,
so you must continually readjust, just as you would your aperture, shutter
speed, and lighting. You can also observe the images and designs
of others. Have a look through this magazine and see how the photos
and ads are put together. How have they used negative space in their
designs? Does the cropping (i.e., framing) of the photos add impact to
the design? If not, how could you improve them?

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