What a logo can and cannot do
A logo has one main job: to be recognised and remembered as yours. It is a signature, not a sales pitch. It does not need to show what you do; many of the world's best-known logos say nothing about their products. What it must do is look like it belongs to a company of your quality, and work consistently everywhere you use it.
What a logo cannot do is make an unclear company clear. That is why branding is more than a logo: the position, the message and the way you behave decide what the mark comes to mean. Logo design works best as part of a considered brand, which we describe on our branding agency page.
What makes a good logo
- Distinctive. Different from competitors in your sector, who often share the same colours and clichés.
- Simple. Recognisable at a glance and at small sizes, including as a favicon and social profile picture.
- Appropriate. In tone with your position: a private bank and a children's brand need different things.
- Flexible. Works in one colour, reversed out of a dark background, horizontally and stacked.
- Durable. Built on strong typography and form rather than this year's trend, so it does not date in two years.
- Ownable. Original enough to be protected, and checked against existing marks.
Wordmark, symbol or combination?
The right type of logo depends on your name, your market and where the logo will be used most.
| Type | What it is | Works well when | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wordmark | The company name set in distinctive lettering | The name is short, distinctive and you want it remembered | Long names that become illegible when small |
| Lettermark or monogram | Initials designed as a mark | The full name is long, or initials are already used | Initials are hard to protect and easy to confuse |
| Symbol | A standalone icon or abstract mark | You have the budget and time to make it recognised | A symbol alone means nothing to new audiences |
| Combination mark | A symbol and wordmark used together and apart | You want flexibility across website, signage and social | Too many versions used inconsistently |
| Emblem | Name and symbol inside one shape, like a badge | Heritage, hospitality, clubs and products | Detail lost at small sizes |
Logo design and brand identity in one project
Most companies that ask for a logo actually need more: colours, typography and a few templates so the logo has a consistent setting. A logo dropped onto a website in the wrong typeface and a random blue rarely looks as good as it did on the presentation board. For that reason we usually design the logo within a broader brand identity project. When a logo on its own is the right first step, for example for a new venture testing its market, we say so and keep the scope small.
How the logo design process works
- Strategy session. A paid 50-minute conversation with the founder about your company, your ambition and whether we fit.
- Proposal. A fixed scope and fixed price, including the number of directions and review rounds.
- Brief. Your position, audience, competitors and where the logo will be used most.
- Exploration. Many sketches internally; a focused number of directions presented to you, each with its reasoning.
- Refinement. The chosen direction developed in detail: spacing, weights, small-size versions and colour.
- Testing. The logo shown on a website header, a proposal, a social profile, signage and in one colour.
- Delivery. Final files, a short usage guide and the written copyright assignment.
What you receive at delivery
- Vector master files (SVG, EPS or PDF) for print, signage and future design work.
- PNG files with transparent backgrounds for everyday use, plus SVG for your website.
- Versions in full colour, one colour, black and white, and reversed for dark backgrounds.
- Horizontal, stacked and icon-only variants where the design includes them.
- A favicon and social profile image prepared at the right sizes.
- Colour values for screen and print, and the names of the typefaces used.
- A one-page guide on clear space, minimum sizes and what not to do.
If a new website is planned, the logo is prepared for it directly; see our web design service.
Who owns the logo: copyright and trade marks in the UK
Copyright
In general terms, under UK law the copyright in a design created by an independent designer or studio stays with the creator unless it is assigned to you in writing. Paying the invoice does not automatically transfer it. We therefore include a written assignment of copyright in the final logo once the project is paid. Check this point with any designer you consider, especially for low-cost or contest-based logos.
Trade marks
Copyright and trade mark protection are different. A registered trade mark gives you clearer rights to stop others using a confusingly similar mark for similar goods or services. Before finalising a name or logo, a first check of the UK trade mark register held by the Intellectual Property Office is sensible, and for registration in the right classes, or outside the UK, a trade mark attorney can advise. Note that the ® symbol should only be used once a mark is actually registered. We are designers, not lawyers, and do not give legal advice.
How to choose a logo designer
- Ask how they start. A designer who begins with questions about your clients and competitors will produce something more useful than one who starts with fonts.
- Look for reasoning. Each presented direction should come with an explanation of why it fits.
- Check the deliverables. Vector files, all versions and a usage guide should be standard, not extras.
- Get copyright in writing. Confirm that rights in the final design are assigned to you.
- Be wary of very fast, very cheap logos. Template-based or recycled marks can be impossible to protect and may resemble other companies' logos.
If your own name is the brand, for example as a consultant or adviser, see personal branding for how a personal mark differs.