Logo design creates a graphic mark that represents a brand. The logo is the most visible element of a brand identity. It appears on products, websites, business cards, and signs. It must work at any size, from a favicon to a billboard. It must be recognizable in an instant. It must communicate the brand's personality without words. A good logo is simple, memorable, and versatile. A bad one is cluttered, forgettable, or unusable in some contexts.

The process starts with research. What does the brand stand for? Who is the audience? Who are the competitors? The answers shape the design direction. Sketches explore many possibilities. The best concepts are refined into digital files. Color, typography, and shape all matter. A logo can be a wordmark, like Google. A lettermark, like IBM. A pictorial mark, like Apple. An abstract mark, like Pepsi. A mascot, like the Michelin Man. A combination mark, like Burger King. Each type has strengths. Wordmarks are clear and direct. Pictorial marks are memorable and language-independent. The choice depends on the brand. A new brand may need a wordmark to establish its name. A global brand may prefer a symbol. The logo is not the brand. It is the signature. But it is the signature people remember.

Logo types

• Wordmark — the brand name in distinctive type
• Lettermark — initials or abbreviation
• Pictorial — a recognizable image
• Abstract — a geometric or symbolic form
• Mascot — a character representing the brand
• Combination — text and symbol together

A logo is a signature. It signs everything the brand does. It should be simple enough to remember and distinctive enough to matter.