But there are so many new businesses in the market emerging every day. How can a customer understand which brand is the best for them? They need a little help and indication from you. And is the most effective in the form of branding design. 

Branding design assets like mascots, logo design, and icons are the faces of your brand. This is what the customers encounter to form that valuable first impression. 

So getting this right is an important first step in that brand building ladder. 

For a business owner to make an informed decision about logo design, knowing the options and how they matter is the right approach. 

This guide details all you need to know about getting the logo design out and details the various logo design types you can choose from for your brand too. 

The Traits of a Perfect Logo Design

There is always a lot of chatter associated with good vs bad logo designs. The branding and marketing experts have filled the internet with the highs and lows of this industry. And while examples work well, knowing the design principles behind the perfect logo design also goes a long way. 

So here is a breakdown of the perfect logo design by the Kimp team for clarity. 

Before we begin we would like to preface the section by stating that there are no absolute perfects when it comes to logo design. When we speak of perfect logo design, we mean a logo design that fits your business and your business goals to the tee. 

With that, let’s dive into the characteristics of a perfect logo design : 

Timelessness

Feel what you may about them, there is no escaping trends in the current marketing climate. The plus side of this is that they are a good litmus test for the industry sentiment but the downside is it is easy to become a cog in the wheel. 

A perfect logo design for your business makes you a sensation and the topic of your customers’ discussions. That can work by following a trend but for longevity, it is better to invest in timeless graphic design elements that people won’t be turned away from in a while.

Trends have a tendency to take up a lot of space leading to consumer’s fatigue. Choosing a timeless design ensures that customers like your logo design today, tomorrow, and in the future too. 

Versatility 

In a time when everyone is talking about embracing omnichannel marketing and being everywhere all at once, you cannot have a logo design that looks good only on paper or on the web. The logo design has to facilitate and elevate your goals of global domination by being versatile and flexible to shine anywhere you choose to showcase it. 

A perfect logo design works across channels (Facebook vs Twitter vs Email), mediums (print vs digital), contexts (Holiday vs regular), and is effective across greyscales, B/W, and transparent modes. 

Being relevant to the industry and the audience 

Niche businesses work the best right now. When you know your audience inside out and can deliver a brand experience that fits their expectations, your business is on the right track. Customers respond to visual identities that are built knowing their choices and keeping them at the center of it. So it becomes very important for the logo design to be unique and resonant with your target audience.

Additionally, we mentioned how the logo design is a snapshot of who you really are for the audience to understand in less than five seconds. So including elements that reflect your industry or using design to signify the product/service can improve the effectiveness of a logo. 

Originality 

Authenticity is a significant pillar in any branding or marketing effort. Millennials, Gen Z, and Gen X customers feel that originality in a brand is a key differentiating factor and impacts their buying choices too. So begin with your branding designs too. Ensure that your logo design is 100% original, unique, authentic, and a clear representation of your brand’s personality and values. 

7 Logo Design Types for Inspiration

The world of graphic design is quite big and it is possible for a business today to think out of the box for their branding design choices. What used to be four templates that every business owner used indiscriminately is now a sea. 

For logo designs too, there are many new design types that have brought success for business growth. Let us take a look at the many logo design types you can explore before settling on one for your brand’s visual identity. 

1. Wordmark Logo Designs 

The basics are there for a reason and cliches become cliches because they work. Sometimes when the world is thinking out of the box, it pays to stay inside the box to impress your audience. On that note, Wordmark logos have been around since time immemorial. They were one of the first forms of logo designs that businesses employed. 

A typical Wordmark logo is when a business opts for its brand name itself to become its logo. This is usually done when the aim is to make the name popular and stand out in the industry. Wordmark logos exist across all industries and are appropriate if you have a unique name or a meaningful name connected to the product. 

A few examples of Wordmark logo designs from Kimp. 

Kimp Tip : Before you pick a Wordmark logo, double-check if the logo’s length and size is appropriate in all placements including but not limited to packaging design. Long names can make Wordmark logos illegible in some scenarios, so tread carefully. 

2. Lettermark or Monogram 

Lettermark or Monogram logo designs are another form of written logo designs. In this logo design type, brands opt to use initials or an abbreviation of their name to represent themselves at the forefront. IKEA is one of the most popular brands to have opted for an abbreviation as their logo. 

Now, for brands with a longer name, it makes sense to shorten it so that representation becomes easier in the long run. 

But the danger with this model is that building a unique identity can be a challenge. IKEA is a very unique word and has stayed with the world for a long time. Not every company gets so lucky. In such cases, opting for other logo design types is the best choice. 

A few design examples for Lettermark logo designs by Kimp 

3. Pictorial logo designs or Brand Marks 

People remember faces better than names. And that is why adding a visual element to your logo design can help you boost brand recognition and help you build a stronger brand for your business. It is also a great way to add context to your logo designs if the name or the acronym does not already do it. 

For brand marks, you can :

• Include an image or symbol that has a direct connection to your industry, product, or service 
• Design an abstract image that manages to attract the audience’s attention and becomes synonymous with your brand over time 
• Use a mascot to personify your brand and connect with your audience 

All these choices are equally valid and can work for your brand. As long as the visual used in the logo design worked well with the intent of the brand identity, you are good to go. 

An example of Brandmark logo design by Kimp 

4. Emblem logo design 

Emblems are a traditional and very sophisticated logo design type. Initially associated with aristocracies, teams, and large corporations, these have been used by brands to signify legacy, conservative personality, and efficiency. By using this logo design type, you can instill a higher level of trust in your customer base. 

If you have a conservative customer base who belong to the Gen X or Boomer generation, then emblem is a great choice for your logo. 

But if you have a slightly younger customer base such as Gen Z or Millennials and still want to use this logo design type, then we have a solution for you. Emblem logo designs have gotten a makeover in the name of “Names inside shapes” logo design recently. 

In the newer category, while the brand name is not typically encrusted within an emblem-like model, they still use a typical shape to box it in. This feels like an emblem logo design without looking too traditional. The Levis logo design is a great example of this logo design type. 

A few design examples for Emblem logo designs by Kimp 

5. Combination logo design 

Each of the logo design types that we discussed till now has some advantages and disadvantages. Choosing an absolute design type may feel like a challenge when there is more than one way to represent your brand. And that is where the combination mark logo design comes into play. 

Do you want a mascot but also want the logo to feature your brand name? Do you feel that a visual with the monogram logo design will enhance brand recall? Wondering how to include a visual element while also boosting the value of your brand name?

Well, why choose one when you can have it all? Choose to transform your brand’s visual identity with a combination mark logo design, just as in this design by Kimp. 

Kimp Tip: Choosing a combination mark logo design makes it easier to represent your brand cohesively across mediums. You can choose the visual element or the textual element wherever possible without compromising on branding consistency. Placements are no longer an issue. 

6. Negative space logos 

Like we said, the world of graphic design is expanding. Creativity, especially in marketing and branding is at its peak and there are many new ways to bring your brand’s personality to life via logo design. 

The latest kid on the block is the negative space logo design type. While it is quite similar to a brand mark or a combination mark logo design type, the approach here is quite artistic and creative. 

Whatever is the final visual element – a symbol, an abstract image, or a mascot – the design team brings it out using the concept of negative space. Which means that we compose the design such that even the white spaces come together to convey a message. 

This is a fairly new concept and is ideal for a new-age brand with a younger customer base such as Gen Z and Millennials. 

Replicating the impact of the negative space logo design type might also be difficult in some mediums and modes such as grayscale or B/W. It is a challenging choice, so make sure you test all collateral and models before you finalize it. 

Example of a negative space logo design by Kimp 

7. Animated logos 

Did you think that motion graphics and videos are relevant to the marketing world only? That the branding design world is still untouched? Well, if you thought so, let us clarify that that has not been the case for many years now. 

When all your primary modes of communication, marketing, and networking efforts have become video-centric, it is only right that branding becomes too. This means that while your branding design has a static counterpart, the design has to keep in mind the video medium too. 

And that is why animated logo design types have become quite popular in the industry. Having an animated logo design makes it easier to integrate with motion graphics-based marketing materials and also conveys the futuristic potential of the brand. 

An animated logo design on your website or landing page will quickly grab the user’s attention over any other design element. 

Kimp Tip: Instead of designing a static logo and then animating it, we recommend working with the motion graphics team right off the bat to build a cohesive branding asset. Think of the animation motions and how the design can enhance them and vice versa for the best results. 

Logo design with Kimp 

Branding is a huge undertaking for any business. It is also important to understand how challenging it can be. When your focus is on building a business, design can take a backseat. But you need a strong branding design to represent you and build the right impression in front of your customers from the first day itself. 

Of course, dealing with designers and the many revisions can be frustrating too. And that is why Kimp’s unlimited graphic design subscription offers unlimited designs with unlimited revisions at a flat monthly fee. You don’t pay anything extra for any additional design or change that you may need. And if you want animated/motion graphics assets, we have an unlimited video design subscription too. 

So grab your chance to bring your brand’s visual identity to life at a flat fee. 
Head to our website and connect with the team via live chat now. Or schedule a one-to-one call with our team today.