When To Opt For Symbol Or Wordmark Logo Design

Last updated on January 20th, 2023

Businesses and graphic designers often face this dilemma of picking the one from many types of logos. Symbol and wordmark logo are two major types of logos known for their great visual power. These logos help build brand identities of businesses and communicate with customers effectively. Various factors are involved in deciding a particular type of logo design for your business.

There are many types of logos choices available to the graphic designers and business owners today. What is more, in each category of the types of logos, you will come across iconic logo designs. There are many inspirational logos which we can categorize as symbol logos, wordmark logos, lettermark logos, or combination logos. This creates a problem for many when it comes to picking just one right logo solution for your business.

As a business owner, when you plan for a logo that is an adequate representation of your company and business, you need to choose a logo type adequately. Symbol and wordmark logos are the two most sought-after types that clients wish to create for brand identity of their business. Consider some ground to establish which of the two types of logo your business will benefit from.

It would be a wrong approach to think that any logo option can do well for any business. That is unprofessional way to pick a business logo. In fact, if you fail to pick the right logo design option, you may potentially damage business prospects of your client.

For example, one of the reasons for the Apple company having a certain brand image is its symbol of Apple as a logo. It is a unique logo as the apple is shaped as someone took a bite of it, which also stand for the ‘byte’ a term from the computer industry.

Simply putting the company name as a main ingredient of the logo design would probably have not given the brand identity that Apple has today. So, it is important that as a business owner and also as a graphic designer you decide on the choice of a type of logo you want.

Here Are Some Point When To Opt For Symbol Or Wordmark Logo Design

01. What Is A Symbol Logo?

Symbol logos often have an iconic feel around them. People like these logos immediately for their symbolism. A symbol logo design is the one that uses any symbol as its way to convey a message to the target customers. A graphic designer can turn any picture into a symbol. But, generally, symbols are picked carefully after taking the brand’s message into account.

Symbols can be broadly categorized as those having conventional meaning and those which acquire meaning with the time. Many symbols, such as religious symbols, draw their meanings from traditions. So, when people see these symbols they know what is the message.

For example, if a logo has a cross in its design, it automatically means that it is likely a church logo from a particular church. Then, there are symbols for emotions also. For example, the red heart is a symbol for love. A bear is the symbol for raw strength.

But there are symbols that become symbols only with the time. Apple logo is one such symbol logo. The apple in the logo does not carry any meaning from traditions. But as the company’s business expanded and customers liked its products, the bitten apple logo became a symbol of excellence for customers. Here a simple but unique picture has been turned later into a symbol.

Nike’s swoosh is another glaring example of symbol logo. The swoosh became a symbol of doing things correctly and perfectly only after the company’s sports shoes became a brand. We can say that a picture comes to mind when we recall a symbol logo. For example, when we say something about social media channel Twitter, the twitter bird comes to mind. Similarly, the Target bullseye logo is a symbol logo because of the bullseye design.

02. When To Use Symbol Logos

Now the question is when should you give preference to creating a symbol logo. Here are some points. Consider a symbol logo if you have the patience to see your business growing slowly but steadily. This is because your logo will take time to become a symbol. As your business grows and people have a liking for your offerings of products or services, the logo itself becomes a symbol for excellence. It will create the logo and brand identity both effectively.

Moreover, even if you have picked a conventional symbol for your logo, it is not automatically going to convey the meaning effectively. People will associate the conventional meaning of the symbol only when they associate the same values with your business. Again, that too will take time. So, a key thing in picking a symbol logo is that you should be willing to give many years to your logo before it yields the desired results.

Another thing to remember is that you should have a substantial marketing budget. This is because you will be required to educate people about the meaning of your logo. You will be spending money on promoting your business as the logo does not have your company name. This means that people will have to be made aware of the fact that the logo is of your company.

Just by merely looking at the logo, potential customers are not going to recognize your business in the initial phase. Remember that you need budget for creating a lot of marketing materials such as a brochure design and business card design, leaflets, etc. Also, consider a symbol logo if your company name is too long and generic.

Such a name is often difficult to translate in a global language. Often, a longer company name is lacking in personality as well. In that case, a symbol logo is a better option. You can convey your message to the people just with the help of the symbol.

Another situation for preferring a symbol logo is when you have many subsidiaries of your company. If you want a common logo for all of the subsidiaries then a symbol can represent all of them. You can avoid creating a separate logo for each of them.

03. What Is A Wordmark Logo?

Contrary to symbol logos, a wordmark logo is not dependent on some picture to convey its message. A wordmark logo can be described as a font-based logo. Such a logo is more focused on a company’s name. There is usually nothing else other than a company name in a wordmark logo. Famous example of these logos include that of Coca-Cola and Visa. Google’s logo is another famous example. Wordmark logos are also known as logotypes.

But wordmark logo should not be taken as lettermark logos. There is a difference between the two. While wordmark logo has a company full name, the lettermak has only the initials of a company name. So, HP logo is a lettermark logo, while Samsung is a wordmark.

04. When To Use A Wordmark Logo?

You should opt for a wordmark logo when you want your company’s name to be the chief feature of the logo design. Such a logo is based on typography. Since the main focus of the design is on your name, the right choice of fonts holds importance.

You should be picking the font from a wide varieties available. Or, you can custom make a font specially for your logo. In any case, typography based logo is considered to be the best logo idea in the industry.

Usually, a wordmark logo is a choice when your company name is unique and distinctive. When the name is not well known, it would be good to go for this type of logo. This is because the logo can easily advertise your business and company name.

There is no need to spend additional budget on promoting your company name as the logo spells it. This way, you can make your company name a household word quickly.

If your marketing budget is small in the initial stage, a wordmark logo is a perfect choice. Your company name will be a good advertisement and a tool of awareness about your business.

So, for a new business, this type of logo is usually an ideal option. Another advantage of the logo is that you can easily replicate these company’s logos across all of your marketing materials.

Consider these points when deciding on a symbol logo or a wordmark logo for your business. Once you have determined it, you can tell it straightforwardly to your graphic designer about the choice. Or, you can leave it to the experienced designer. The designer will pick the right type of logo considering your brand personality.

When it comes to designing a logo, you can depend on crowdsourcing sites such as Designhill, a leading marketplace. Just launch your logo design contest and you can get an overwhelming response from dozens of graphic designers from their graphic design services.

They will submit unique symbol or wordmark logo concepts in response to the contest. You get a logo at an affordable price through this route. Do not worry about any risks as Designhill offers 100% Money Back Guarantee so that you get back your funds if not satisfied with the designs.

Conclusion

Your choice of a symbol logo or wordmark logo depends on your brand personality. A symbol logo is suitable when you can wait for a long time for business growth. A wordmark is a better option if you want your full company name in it and it will advertise the name quickly.

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