Not all logos work in the same way.

Some rely entirely on typography. Others use a symbol that eventually becomes recognisable without the company name. Some combine the two, while others wrap everything together into a badge or emblem.

Broadly speaking, most logos can be grouped into five main types: wordmarks, lettermarks, brandmarks, combination marks and emblems.

There are variations, hybrids and plenty of logos that cheerfully refuse to stay in one box, but these five categories are a useful starting point when deciding what sort of identity might work for your business.

The important question isn’t simply which type looks best?

It’s which type will work best for the business, the audience and all the places the logo needs to appear?

1. Wordmark logos

Examples: Google, FedEx, Canon, Tesco, Sonos and John Lewis

A wordmark uses the company name itself as the principal visual element.

For businesses with a distinctive or relatively short name, a wordmark can be remarkably effective. Rather than adding a separate symbol, the identity comes from the typography: the choice of typeface, spacing, proportions, colour and any customised letterforms.

Think of FedEx. There isn’t really anything to separate from the name because the lettering is the logo. The famous arrow hidden between the E and x simply gives an already strong wordmark another layer.

When does a wordmark work well?

Wordmarks are particularly useful when:

• the business name is short and memorable
• building recognition of the actual name is important
• the name is sufficiently distinctive
• a clean, uncomplicated identity suits the business
• the logo needs to remain clear across lots of applications

They can also age extremely well. Typography may be refined over time, but a strong wordmark doesn’t depend upon an illustration or fashionable graphical device.

The apparent simplicity can be deceptive, though. When there is nowhere for weak typography to hide, every letter matters. Taking an ordinary font, typing the company name and saving it as a JPEG doesn’t suddenly make it a professionally designed logo.

2. Lettermark logos

Examples: BBC, IBM, HBO, KFC, EA and 3M

A lettermark uses initials or abbreviated letters rather than displaying the full company name.

International Business Machines is quite a mouthful. IBM is considerably easier to put on the side of a building.

Lettermarks are particularly effective for businesses with long names or names that naturally become abbreviated. The letters themselves are designed to become a distinctive visual identifier.

The BBC’s three boxes are an obvious example. Likewise, the familiar IBM stripes make three ordinary letters unmistakably IBM.

When does a lettermark work well?

A lettermark can be a good choice when:

• the business has a long name
• customers already use its initials
• the initials are distinctive and memorable
• the identity needs to be compact
• the business operates across different markets or languages

The potential weakness is recognition.

IBM and BBC can get away with initials because decades of exposure have taught us what they mean. A completely new company called South East Professional Business Solutions Ltd probably shouldn’t assume everybody will immediately recognise SEPBS. Building a brand as a startup means establishing that recognition from scratch, so clarity is particularly important in the early days.

For a new business, a lettermark may therefore need to be supported by the full company name while recognition develops.

3. Brandmark or pictorial mark logos

Examples: Apple, Nike, McDonald’s, Shell, Pepsi and Airbnb

A brandmark uses a symbol or graphic as its primary identifier.

This is perhaps what people most readily think of when they hear the word “logo”: the Apple apple, Nike swoosh or McDonald’s golden arches.

At their best, brandmarks are exceptionally powerful because they can identify a company without using a single word.

That doesn’t mean the picture needs to explain what the company does.

Apple doesn’t sell fruit. Shell hasn’t been selling seashells since 1897. And there’s remarkably little about a swoosh that says sports shoes.

What gives these symbols meaning is consistent use and recognition over time.

That’s an important distinction when designing a logo for a startup business. A brandmark shouldn’t be expected to explain the entire business at first glance. Its job is to become a distinctive and ownable visual identifier.

When does a brandmark work well?

Brandmarks can be particularly effective when:

• the business wants a strong visual symbol
• the mark needs to work at very small sizes
• international recognition matters
• the company name doesn’t need to appear everywhere
• there is a distinctive concept that can become associated with the brand

They are also enormously useful in today’s digital world. A strong symbol can work as a social profile image, app icon, favicon or website graphic where there simply isn’t room for a long company name.

But there’s a catch: recognition has to be earned.

Nike can put a swoosh on something and walk away. A business launched last Tuesday probably can’t.

4. Combination logos

Examples: Amazon, Adidas, Spotify, Domino’s, Jaguar and Walt Disney

A combination logo brings together a wordmark or lettermark with a separate symbol.

For many businesses, this is the most versatile approach.

You get the clarity of the company name alongside the memorability of a visual mark. As the brand becomes established, the two elements may also be capable of working independently.

Spotify is a good example. The circular sound-wave symbol can appear alone in places where the complete Spotify name isn’t necessary. Adidas can similarly use its familiar three-stripe device separately from the wordmark.

Why are combination logos so useful?

They give a brand options.

The complete logo might appear across the top of a website or on a shop sign. The symbol alone might become the social media avatar. A horizontal arrangement could work on a vehicle, while a stacked version might suit packaging.

That’s increasingly important because your logo is one of the hardest-working parts of your brand. It no longer lives in one neat little space at the top of a letterhead.

It has to survive websites, phones, social media, signage, print, clothing, packaging, email signatures and everything in between.

A well-designed combination identity can therefore become a flexible logo system, rather than one rigid piece of artwork that’s expected to fit absolutely everywhere.

5. Emblem logos

Examples: NFL, Warner Bros., Harley-Davidson, Manchester United, Porsche and Starbucks

An emblem usually contains typography within a badge, crest, seal or other enclosing shape.

Emblems have a long history, which is part of their appeal.

They borrow visual language from coats of arms, institutional seals, sporting badges and makers’ marks. As a result, they can suggest heritage, authority, craftsmanship or belonging.

That’s why they’re particularly common among sports clubs, universities, automotive brands, breweries and organisations with a strong sense of tradition.

Harley-Davidson’s shield feels very different from Apple’s minimalist symbol – and that’s precisely the point. They communicate different personalities.

When does an emblem work well?

An emblem may suit a business or organisation when:

• heritage or tradition is important
• a badge-like identity feels appropriate
• the brand needs to suggest authority or provenance
• the logo will appear on merchandise, uniforms or products
• a more detailed visual identity suits the character of the organisation

Their main disadvantage is complexity.

Intricate lettering and tiny details that look wonderful on a sign can turn into an indecipherable blob when squeezed into a 32-pixel favicon.

Modern emblem identities therefore often need simplified secondary versions for smaller applications.

So, which type of logo is best?

There isn’t one.

If there were, my job would be considerably easier.

The right type depends on the business.

A company with a distinctive four-letter name may need nothing more than a beautifully considered wordmark. A business with a long name might benefit from a lettermark. A consumer brand may want a memorable symbol, while an established family business might deliberately choose an emblem that suggests history and craftsmanship.

For many small and medium-sized businesses, a combination logo provides an excellent balance between recognition and flexibility, particularly when the symbol can eventually work independently.

But the category should never dictate the design.

Start with the business: what it does, who it needs to appeal to, where the identity will be used and what impression it needs to create. The appropriate type of logo should emerge from that process – not the other way around.

A good logo needs to work, not merely look good

Whichever type you choose, the same basic principles apply. What makes a good logo isn’t simply how attractive it looks.

A professionally designed logo should be distinctive, memorable, appropriate and versatile. It needs to work in colour and in one colour, at large and small sizes, on screen and in print.

And it needs to belong to a wider visual identity.

Your logo may be the most recognisable part of your brand, but branding is more than just a logo. Typography, colour, imagery, layout and consistent application all contribute to how people perceive and remember a business.

That’s also why the strongest identities aren’t necessarily the most complicated ones.

Nike’s swoosh, Apple’s apple and the BBC’s three letters demonstrate something designers have known for rather a long time: you don’t have to say everything to be remembered.

If you’re considering a new identity, you can explore my professional logo design services, see examples in my logo design portfolio or read my guide to logo design and brand identity for the bigger picture.

Because choosing the right type of logo is useful.

Creating one that people actually remember is the clever bit.