Incstone Design

When choosing your logo, the type that you desire is important.  But what kind of one do you want?  Wordmark?  Monogram?  Icon?  Combination mark?  What do these words even mean?  More importantly, how do they tie in to what you want?

Easy: they're shorthand for kinds of logos.  Although there are no real classifications for logos, designers generally tend to group them by these general descriptions.  The following are examples of each type of logo.

The Icon is simple and easy to identify.  Nothing more than an image to represent the particular organization, product or service, the icon is intended to display the meanings for your company, whether concrete or abstract.  They're less direct than plain text and leave room for interpretation.  The main advantage to an icon is that it is the ultimate expression of the term "a picture is worth a thousand words" and if effective will say more about you than several paragraphs.  The disadvantage is that if your logo is separated from any accompanying text, it must be recognizable enough to have its own meaning, else it is nothing more than a pretty picture.

The Wordmark is the simplest way for a company to represent itself.  Whether using a standard font or specialized text, it's the most direct method to embed your company's name as well.  The advantages is that given the right touches, this can be an incredibly striking method of presentation.  The disadvantage is that it can be disastrous if done poorly, especially the more common the name of your organization, product or service is.

A blending of the two previous styles, the Combination mark is the harmonic use of both text and icons to create a logo.  Balancing one or another, the two create a composite whole that can be used to complement and strengthen one another, making for a more dynamic logo overall.  The advantage is that it makes the logo readily identifiable and allows both the text and icon to gain recognition, thus allowing either to be used as separate marks later on.  The disadvantage is that if there is not enough recognition invested by the viewer in the logo, one piece without the other may be completely useless and possibly even a detriment to your image.

Lastly, falling somewhere between the icon and the wordmark, the Monogram makes it easier to remember your company, especially if the name of your organization, company or service is long or confusing.  When simplified into an abbreviation, acronym or initialism, it makes for an easier viewing.  The advantage is that when done right, this can be both space- and eye-saving; writing "IBM" on a business card is far smaller and easier than "International Business Machines".  The disadvantage is that monograms are not always a substitute for a good logo of the other type; additionally, some monogram logos work great in one setting but may be ill-fitting, if not outright unworkable, in other contexts.