HomeLogo DesignWhat is a logo? History & Meaning

What is a logo? History & Meaning

Date:

What is a logo? At the most basic level, logos are marks made up of text and pictures that help us recognise brands we like. But there’s so much more they can be! Your business is built around a good image. It helps people know what you do, who you are, and what you care about. That’s a lot of work for such a small picture! Read our article to learn more about what a brand is and how to make the most of it.

What is a logo?

A logo is a sign made up of words and pictures that helps people recognise a business. A good mark shows what a company does and what the brand stands for.

Logo design is all about making the right visual brand mark for a company. Depending on the type, a logo typically consists of a symbol or brandmark, a logotype, and a tagline.

How does a logo function?

Logos do something other than just look nice, right? Yes! Logos do a lot of things.

1. A logo shows important things about your business

Along with identifying your business, a good logo tells your customers important things about it. It can tell them what industry you’re in, what service you offer, who you’re trying to reach, and what your brand values are.

For example, a company in the software business might use a picture of a circuit board in their name. Or, they might use a certain colour to show that they care about being green and protecting the earth. Or, they could use a fancy style to show that they are expensive. Check out how Wild Hearts uses a picture of a book with a heart in it to show that they sell mostly romance books.

2. A logo helps people remember a brand

Logos also leave a visual impression that tells your customers that, well, you exist.

In other words, logos can make people think of a business when they see it. This link will help customers remember your name.

Think of names like Nike and McDonald’s, whose logos are so well known that you can recognise them even if you don’t know the name. It’s not a surprise that names are such a big part of how people think about a brand.

3. With a design, you can stand out from the rest of the crowd

A logo’s most basic job is to give your business a unique mark that makes it stand out from other companies.

This is very important if you have competitors, which 99.9% of businesses do. Before you get a name for your business, you should look into what your competitors’ logos look like so you can put yourself in the right place.

A logo’s most basic job is to give your business a unique mark that makes it stand out from other companies.

This is very important if you have competitors, which 99.9% of businesses do. Before you get a name for your business, you should look into what your competitors’ logos look like so you can put yourself in the right place.

Check out how this logo stands out from all the other boring dental logos in the dental business by using a unique feature of their area to make a toothbrush.

Logo design by DsgnStory

Of course, you don’t want your brand to be so weird that people don’t understand it.

What creates a logo?

Now that we know what a logo is for, let’s look at what it’s made of. Star dust, chocolate chips, and used board games? Nearly, but not quite!

Even though there is no clear answer, we can look at some of the most popular parts of logo design. These parts come together to make 5 different kinds of logos.

1. Typography

143 logo
Logo Design by DSGNSTORY

In terms of shape, a logo generally has some sort of Typography feature. This can be anything from a single letter in the style of a logo to a nickname or the full name of the company.

2. Imagery

ATALANTA WELLNESS LOGO
Logo Design by DSGNSTORY

Symbols or icons are sometimes used with design. These can show real things or be made up of imaginary geometric shapes.

In some cases, logos also have artistic elements like line work or visual symbols like small stars or dotted lines that don’t exactly make a clear picture on their own.

The Atalanta wellness logo has both letters and an illustration of a flower pattern in it.

3. Context

In some cases, the way a logo is used can also tell you what it is.

Therefore, it’s critical to consider the circumstances and locations in which logo may be used.

Logos are often seen online, on company cards, in stores, in ads, and in printed materials. But your business may have specific needs.

In the below logo, the round shape makes it great for a construction cover.

century 26 logo
Logo Design by DSGNSTORY

4. Color

After shape comes color. Logos can be in black and white, in one color, or in many different colors. Most names with more than one color use schemes that are either comparable, which means the colors are similar in hue, or complementary, which means the colors are far apart or have the same tone.

The C letter logo has a full color range with colors that go well together.

c letter logo
Logo Design by DSGNSTORY

5. Static or dynamic elements

In logo creation, one important choice is whether to make a basic logo, which always looks the same, or a dynamic logo, which looks different based on where it is used. Notice how different parts of the case are used for different purposes.

D LION LOGO

How is a logo different from branding?

One thing that gets people confused is what the difference is between logos and branding. It sounds hard to tell the difference, but it’s not: People’s ideas about your business are what your brand is.

In other words, it can be thought of as the customer’s overall image of your company. Many things, like your ads, programs, customer service, and yes, even your brand, can leave this image.

Yes, your image is an important part of your business. (not the other way around). For example, Apple’s beautiful, easy-to-use, and customer-friendly brand identity isn’t just made up of its famous and easily recognized image.

These qualities come out in the way they create their outdoor ads, programs, websites, and the way their stores are set up. The mark is just a picture that reminds people of those things. Plus, let’s face it, Apple wouldn’t be the same without that cute, half-eaten apple.

Want to get Custom logo design? Contact with us or Visit our previous works HERE.

Book a 1-on-1
Call Session

Unlock your brand's full potential with our exclusive "Book 1-to-1 Session" at DsgnStory. Personalized and transformative, our experts will craft a roadmap to elevate your brand to new heights. Book now for a co-creative experience that will leave a lasting impact on your brand's narrative.

Related articles:

The 13 Types of Logos – Which One Is Right For Your Business?

A company's logo is an icon that represents the...

AI Logo Generators: Best AI Tools Everyone Should Try

Customers must be able to recognise your brand and...

How To Spot & Avoid Generic Logos

Ever feel like you've seen a brand's logo before...

You’ve Completed Your Brand Logo… now what?

So, you've started a business and things are going...

Twitter logo changed to the Dogecoin Doge. But Why?

The Twitter logo has always been a blue bird,...