What is a Logo and What is not!

By Logo Design Next

Modern–day visual communications consists mainly through combinations of pictures (moving or otherwise) and words. Since pictures usually accompany words, it is the job of the designers, creating logos or otherwise, to not merely illustrate those words in a literal sense, but to help enhance comprehension and viewer entertainment by adding comments, innuendo, criticism, humor or an invitation to read or purchase.

It is the job of the designer, whether he creates an illustration, logo or an icon to add concept or some cool idea to his creation. In the examples below, we will try to explain the distinctions between an illustration, a picture, a design, plain type, and a logo.

Example A is not a logo, simply because it is somewhat too complex in technique and in concept to communicate its message instantly at a glance. There is no way one can apply it on a business card or letterhead or any other component of a company’s corporate identity even if they tried to use it as a logo. It is in fact an illustration featuring characters from Japanese comic books.

Example B is neither an illustration nor a logo design as it offers no concept. It is just a literal picture of comic books about which one could say, "So what?"

Example C is just a design. It offers some sense of composition, but no underlying concept, although the speech balloon kind of makes an intriguing statement, albeit an ambiguous one. It could be used as clipart in a document, but never as a logo to describe a company and its business.

Example D is not a logo either. It’s a type. The two words "Super" and "Sales" are just written there without any consideration for their arrangement or a need for unification of these two words. There is nothing unique or memorable about them, something which should be a prerequisite for all logos.

Example E is a logo. The elements in E were developed as a unit and form a distinct and continuous shape. The concept is the dollar sign ($) used in place of "S" with stylized lettering which describes the main selling point.

The "Comic Store" line completes the introduction of the business to the logo’s audience. Such logo is also something which would look good when applied on a company’s business card, letterhead, web site or even in TV ads.

You may have noted that example E is just a smart arrangement of text to express its message and does not contain any symbols. Such a type of logo is generally known as a "Typographic" logo.

Logos come in virtually endless variations and example E was just one approach. Another popular approach is Example F, which employs a super familiar emblem to communicate its message. Its concept is again the dollar sign which this time is expressed a purely graphical fashion. Such a mark is generally called a "Symbolic" or "Iconic" logo.

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