Logos are symbols or designs that businesses and companies use to help people identify what their brand represents. It should be something simple and memorable so people can easily remember and distinguish it from other brands. But logos are not just simple designs. Each element within a logo represents value and meaning. So you must understand the different elements and the overall anatomy of a successful logo.

Each logo has a specific purpose and a resonating message to the audience. With this in mind, some logos have parts that others include or exclude depending on what they want their logos to embody.

Let us share with you everything you need to know about creating the perfect logo for your business.

THE ANATOMY OF A LOGO

The elements of a logo are what sets it apart from other logos. The anatomy of a logo includes the following important parts: logomark, wordmark, tagline, background, negative space, and establishment date and location. Let’s have a look at each of these elements one by one.

THE LOGOMARK

The logomark is the graphical representation or element of a logo design. It is one of the most important parts of a logo because it is the one that is most recognisable, catchy and symbolises the brand entity that your business represents. What makes this special is that it combines several elements such as colour theory, design principles, shape language and symbolism which helps viewers understand it on a subconscious level. It can act as a standalone, resonating the entire brand entity even without the full details of the logo.

The logomark comes in a variety of structures and forms. It can be an abstract mark, pictorial mark, monogram and mascot.

An abstract mark uses geometric and organic shapes with no reference to an actual image.
A pictorial mark models itself using a specific image such as an apple in the Apple company.
A monogram uses the decorative or creative version of the initials of a brand name. For instance, LG brand and Louis Vuitton.
A mascot uses character design to create enticing characters that appear in contexts outside the logo design such as in commercials or even websites.

THE WORDMARK

Wordmark is the next part of the logo that summarises the brand name. It also embodies the brand identity, just like the logomark. The wordmark is one of the most important parts of the logo design, especially for those companies who use it as the entire logo instead of the logomark. It can stand alone, just like logo designs with wordmarks but no icon included.

One concern for wordmarks is the legibility and typographic style. As much as you love using a specific typographic style, you need to consider whether it becomes hard to read, which jeopardises how viewers would perceive your brand identity.

THE TAGLINE

The tagline serves as the secondary text portion of your logo design. It usually goes hand in hand with the wordmark to give more information as to what your brand offers. The tagline can be a slogan or qualifying words that describe your business’ nature or specific products or services. For instance, a fitness studio, health care centre or cafe. It is usually used by unknown brands so people can easily recognise what that brand offers.

Because it’s a secondary text, the font and style of taglines are smaller, thinner or condensed. It usually makes use of font styles rather than custom typography. But just like wordmarks, your tagline should be legible even from a distance.

THE BACKGROUND

The background of a logo can be any image, texture, colour and material. Now that we usually make a logo using digital online tools, you can choose any background or download it with a transparent background so you can easily put it in any background of your choice.

NEGATIVE SPACING

Negative space is the invisible space for your logo. It shows the amount of space inside and outside of your logo. This is very important, especially when using your specific brand guideline. Graphic designers make use of rules for the minimum and maximum amount of space (padding) that should be used between your logo design and other elements on one page. For instance, when you use your logo in an Instagram post, you need to make sure that the elements in one post are not crowded so that your logo will still have an effect on your viewers.

CONCLUSION

When it comes to personalising your logo design, you need to make sure that the important elements of a logo are incorporated but with an additional unique touch from your preference of style. As long as you are able to embody your brand’s identity and resonate with your viewers, then your logo will be a successful one that you can use for your business.

55 Knots is one of Australia’s leading creative agencies that offer on-demand graphic design subscriptions, including the creation of your personal brand logo. Contact us today to learn more about how we can deliver the perfect logo for your business.