Symbol Versus Logotype

Danielle Souza

Professor Aronson

Graphic Design

May 2, 2016

Symbol & Logotype Paragraph

     When it comes to branding, there are three main aspects of design the symbol, logo, and logotype. Each of these is extremely unique in its design and use, but all three work together to form a unified part of a whole for an idea, a brand, a company, or a product.

     A symbol is a graphic icon or representation that represents an idea, and typically does not include any words. Symbols can be abstract or explicitly representational and are universally recognizable for what they represent, for example state flags, a skull and crossbones for poison, and a red hexagon which conveys the message to stop.

   A logo is a design created to represent a brand that may include text, often in addition to a symbol. A logo is a more easily recognizable identifier of a brand, because it includes the business or product name in it directly.

    A logotype is the typographic design of the logo itself and can be used in the place of a logo. Logotype is concerned with the typeface used and the lettering that best conveys the brand through the company or product name. A couple of examples, are design of the brand names Google and IBM.  

    Logotypes do, however, have language barriers that they must cross in a global market. To bypass these language barriers, some companies use a combination symbol/logotype, such as Starbucks, McDonald’s, and Target. Other companies, such as Coca-Cola, circumvent this language barrier only by using the same stylization in their logotypes while translating their product name into the appropriate language for the market.

Work Cited

Arnston, Amy. Graphic Design Basics. 5th ed. Belmont: Thomson Wadsworth, 2007. Print.