Definition
A logo is the principal graphic mark — symbol, wordmark, or combination — that a business uses to identify itself, designed to be recognisable, scalable, and reproducible across every medium and size.
A logo is the most concentrated unit of brand expression. It must work at 16×16 pixels and 16 metres tall, in full colour and in single-ink monochrome, on a screen and on a hat. The constraints are punishing — which is why good logos look simple and bad logos look complicated.
A logo is not a brand. A logo is a signature on the brand's work. A famous swoosh isn't valuable because the shape is great; it's valuable because forty years of consistent product, marketing, and storytelling stand behind it. Treating the logo as the brand inverts the relationship — the work makes the logo meaningful, not the other way around.
Origin
From Greek logos ("word"). Modern brand logos descend from medieval merchant marks and early modern printers' devices. The 19th century industrial era made trademarks legally protectable; the 20th century corporate identity movement made them systematic.
How it works
- Anchor to brand strategy — what does the mark need to convey?
- Sketch broadly — dozens of directions before any one gets refined.
- Refine in monochrome first; colour is a finishing decision, not a foundation.
- Test at every required size, especially the smallest (favicon, app icon).
- Build the lockup family — primary, secondary, monogram, monochrome, reversed.
- Ship in production formats: SVG, PNG at common sizes, ICO for favicons, and source files.
When to use it
Use when
- Launching a new company, product line, or major sub-brand.
- When the existing logo no longer reproduces well in modern contexts (mobile, dark mode, app icons).
- After a strategic shift the current mark visibly contradicts.
Skip when
- As a vanity project. Logo redesigns without strategic justification erode equity.
- In isolation from the broader identity system.
Key metrics
- Aided and unaided recognition of the mark.
- Reproduction quality across required sizes and media.
- Consistency of usage across teams and partners.
Examples
- The logo had to work in monochrome on a 16-pixel favicon.
- A great logo is unmistakable at a glance — that's the only test that matters.
- We shipped four lockups so the team never has to retrofit one.
In practice at Makreate
Makreate logos are designed as systems: primary mark, monogram, lockups, monochrome and reversed variants, all shipped in production-ready formats. On a recent SaaS engagement we shipped 6 lockup variants, a stripped-back monogram for app icons, and SVG sprites optimised for web — the engineering team built the new product surfaces without needing a single "can you send me the logo in X format?" message.
Branding →Common mistakes
- Designing a logo in isolation from the rest of the system.
- Skipping the monochrome test. If it doesn't work in single-ink, it doesn't work.
- Including too much detail. Logos shrink; detail disappears.
- Trend-chasing. The mark needs to feel right in 5 years, not just at launch.
- Shipping only the primary lockup. Real use needs variants.
Frequently asked
How long should a logo design take?
A focused logo project: 4–8 weeks. Longer projects fold logo into a wider identity engagement (8–16 weeks). Quicker projects often skip the strategy step and pay for it later.
Wordmark, symbol, or combination?
Wordmarks build name recognition (good for new brands). Symbols save space (good for small surfaces, app icons). Most brands ship both — combination lockup as primary, symbol-only as secondary.
Why so expensive?
A good logo is paid for the strategy, the dozens of explored directions, the production formats, and the years it'll be in market. Cheap logos cost more in rework.