What's the deal with Marks?
Marks
There are many different type of marks. The first one that I'm going to discuss is symbols. Symbols are shapes or pictures that represent a company without using type. While they can be unique, simple. and have a quick impact, they can be costly to promote and confusing. Another type of mark is a pictograph. Much like a symbol, the pictograph is used to communicate to the public. They are universal and are used to help promote the law. For example a no smoking sign or a handicap sign. Letter marks identifies a company by shortening up the name with abbreviation and are typically not pronounceable. An example is the HBO mark or the New Balance mark. The next mark I am going to talk about is the logo. It is a way to identify a company by using text. They are unique and easy to promote, however they can be complex and they can have type relation problems. Combination marks are the use of combining the logo and symbol. They are unique and they have a smooth recognition. An example is the North Face Logo or the Nike logo.
Symbols and Logos
Although you may think that symbols and logos are the same thing they are not. A symbol is used to represent a company with only using an image or graphic. In other words there isn't any type included. A logo is the complete opposite. No graphics, just type. It represents the company without using image only. If you want to include both of these marks into a logo you could use a combination mark. That is the technique where you combine the two marks that I just mentioned.
Important facts
There are a couple of good traits that you should include when making a symbol. You should represent the company well and should be easily recognizable. You want people to know what your company is with just seeing the symbol only. You should also have a logo that can succeed with just one color. You don't want it to be too crazy and it should be strong enough that it can stand alone. Last but not least you should have good negative space. You should have good balance and you should make it appealing.
Overall
I think that the most valuable thing from this article is the types of marks. It allows you to know how you should brand your company and what disadvantages come with choosing logos. Overall, marks are really important when making a strong company and you should always consider what marks to use.