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Logo and logotype design
Just a few of the many trading identifiers produced since 1987.At the heart of a successful organisation's identity system will usually be a simple, strong logo that subconsciously communicates professionalism and trust. This is because effective logos are as much about the communication of a company's purpose and status as they are about creativity and flair.
An good logo will always be clear, strong, instantly recognisable at any size (e.g. on the side of a pen) and in monotone (e.g. newsprint), and will help differentiate the organisation from its competitors. From this one graphic device stems all other visual expressions of what the company stands for and where it sees itself positioned within its market.
When used properly and as part of a planned communications strategy, a good logo or emblem can be an organisation’s biggest asset. For example: when somebody buys a car bearing the Ferrari emblem or Mercedes symbol, they know they are getting the very best in automotive engineering — not necessarily because they understand how the cars are built, but because the identities of these companies, and hence their images, have been carefully controlled over many years to represent all that is good about motoring.
What is a trading identifier?
Symbols are often used as company emblems and usually fit into one of the following categories:
Abstract — patterns or shapes that do not clearly refer to the organisation but that can usually be deciphered eventually. These symbols will only illicit association after the public has been exposed to them for some time and are synonymous with very large (often impersonal) organisations. Examples: NatWest, Renault, BMW.
Descriptive — a recognisable picture directly associated with the company’s product or market. This is the best form of communication as the organisation’s purpose is instantly relayed to the public. Examples: British Gas, The National Lottery, Royal National Institute of the Blind.
Associational — a known symbol or recognisable object used to imply the possession of certain associated qualities. Also used to show location by utilising well-known landmarks. Examples: Jaguar, Lloyds TSB, Texas Instruments.
When a company adopts the use of a logotype and a distinctly separate symbol, these are often used together as a single unit called a ‘signature’ or 'trading identifier'.
Logo, logotype or symbol?
Taken from the Greek word 'logos' (meaning ‘word’), logotypes were originally single pieces of hot-metal type used to print a word or several letters as one unit, often with typographic embellishments or symbols.
Before the advent of lithographic printing, if company names were required to appear many times on different items of stationery, printers would often cast bespoke logotypes to ensure consistency of the company name throughout a range of printed items. Logotypes were also used to assist with company and product differentiation.
The word ‘logotype’ is still used to refer to a company’s name set in a specific and unique way (with or without a symbol but never just a symbol), but as the use of initials became popular for company names in the 1930s, so the abbreviated word ‘logo’ became the recognised term to describe the design of monograms used as trading identifiers. For example: Technics and Coca-Cola use a ‘logotype’ of their corporate names; whereas IBM and GEC use a ‘logo’. Sadly, common usage now means that the words 'logo', 'logotype' and even 'symbol' are synonymous — almost anything gets called a logo!