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Branding ABCs: Simple But Striking Typographical Logos

Feature by
Michelle Weber
  • Business

A logo gives your website an instant pop of professionalism; it’s such a key part of any website that WordPress.com includes a Site Logo tool to make adding one as straightforward as possible.

What if you don’t have the resources to have someone create a logo, or aren’t confident in your design chops? Sometimes a few letters are all you need — all the following sites use their initials for graphic, memorable logos.


Simple Monograms

Monograms aren’t just for polo shirts, and simple doesn’t mean boring or unremarkable. Pick a font that matches your brand’s personality and add a color — there are infinite possibilities, so you can create something elegant, playful, or bold.

mqr
farnam st
CJR

From left to right: interdisciplinary journal of arts and culture Michigan Quarterly Review, lifestyle and psychology site Farnam Street, media criticism site Columbia Journalism Review.


Not sure how to choose a font? Check out WordPress.com designer Kjell Reigstad’s pro advice on fonts.

Add an Outline for Impact

For a round logo that’ll fit perfectly on social media sites, take your initials and sand down the edges. Use a free tool like Canva to experiment with shapes — we’ve even got a tutorial to show you how.

MP
micechat
longreads-logo-sm-rgb
cropped-ET-circle-logo-1
dad depressed
meanjin

Clockwise from top left: the portfolio and blog of photographer Madara Parma; Disney fan site MiceChat; longform journalism site Longreads; Australian literary magazine Meanjin Quarterly; blog and community for dads with mental illness Dadding Depressed; entomology today, the blog of the Entomological Society of America. 


Stylize It

Look for fonts with strong shapes, or try your hand at a drawing of your own. Every font has a broad personality like “simple” or “fun” or “sophisticated,” and more unusual fonts add other layers of meaning: these three stylized letters communicate “bold impact,” “forward thinking,” and “science-oriented” to complement three very different brands.

women in the world
apple-touch-icon-144x144-precomposed
anthropocene

From left to right: Women in the World, a platform highlighting women making an impact across a range of industries; North of the Internet, a digital magazine featuring artists and creators in conversation with one another; environmental sustainability journal Anthropocene.


Add a Custom Touch

If you’re already using some graphics or design elements on your site, incorporate them into a typographic logo for a unique hybrid. This can be as basic as adding some punctuation, or as involved as making the imagery a part of the actual letters — start with the type itself, then see where your imagination takes you.

WSLogo_sm
sundog-logo
messy nessy
gannett
CB_logo
architectural-afterlife-new-logo-2017-02

Clockwise from top left: food blog Wood & Spoon; literary magazine Sundog; travel and lifestyle blog Messy Nessy Chic; photo blog Architectural Afterlife; portfolio of music photographer Carl Battams online food magazine The Gannet.


Ready to put your personal or professional stamp on your site?

Here’s a quick how-to on adding a Site Logo. Need help? Contact our Support team.



If you’d like to customize your site further with CSS and want unlimited access to all of our premium design templates, consider the WordPress.com Premium plan.

Inspired to tell your own story?
WordPress.com has everything you need to create your blog or website.
Get started
August 16, 2018Business, Designbranding, logo, site logo, website design

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32 Comments
  1. Yacoob says:
    August 16, 2018 at 12:10 pm

    Great post. Simplicity is often the better route, and there’s no need to spend a lot on an outsider when all the resources are available.

    LikeLiked by 27 people

  2. Scott says:
    August 16, 2018 at 12:39 pm

    Thanks for the tips. Now I have another project to work on.

    LikeLiked by 21 people

  3. Claire says:
    August 16, 2018 at 4:14 pm

    Canva is really awesome, it’s my new favourite tool!

    LikeLiked by 24 people

    1. Pratima Mehta says:
      August 18, 2018 at 1:23 pm

      True that!!

      LikeLiked by 13 people

    2. Astandane says:
      August 19, 2018 at 4:13 am

      Yes!

      LikeLiked by 14 people

  4. invitationtothegarden says:
    August 16, 2018 at 4:23 pm

    Thanks, Michelle! I’ll have to play with these ideas and try to design something uniquely mine.

    LikeLiked by 20 people

  5. mroseberry6 says:
    August 16, 2018 at 6:48 pm

    I’ve used Canva for three of my blog avitars so far. Great place.

    LikeLiked by 11 people

  6. K.M. Sutton says:
    August 16, 2018 at 7:13 pm

    A logo is something I have been wanting to create and this was so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing these tips! ❤

    LikeLiked by 15 people

  7. airanecdotes says:
    August 17, 2018 at 2:48 am

    Loved this!

    LikeLiked by 14 people

  8. infinity281- the world of computers 💻 says:
    August 17, 2018 at 4:32 am

    Thanks for the information

    LikeLiked by 11 people

  9. austinwelchcreative says:
    August 17, 2018 at 10:35 am

    I really dig articles like this: using real-world examples to demystify a creative process. I think it helps small business owners see that with just a little bit of effort, there’s a lot they can do in-house and save a little money.

    LikeLiked by 15 people

  10. 21 interiors studio says:
    August 17, 2018 at 2:04 pm

    Never thought of such a unique concept .. well done☺️

    LikeLiked by 12 people

  11. Shana Wilson McCall aka Shabinar says:
    August 17, 2018 at 5:34 pm

    Thanks for the info. I did not know i could do my own logo

    LikeLiked by 11 people

  12. karishmabhakta says:
    August 17, 2018 at 6:28 pm

    This is great. I have been trying to learn more about logo design. Thanks

    LikeLiked by 12 people

  13. Pixiecutit says:
    August 17, 2018 at 7:34 pm

    I’m in the mist of creating my own right now. Great article and insight.

    LikeLiked by 11 people

  14. Kaci D. Courtright says:
    August 17, 2018 at 11:01 pm

    It’s nice to see examples of creativity to help with inspiration!

    LikeLiked by 12 people

  15. Prachi Patel says:
    August 18, 2018 at 5:38 am

    Thankyou! Ideas that need to be tried on asap.

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  16. Ankit Mishra says:
    August 18, 2018 at 11:38 am

    It’s really a helpful article for me thanks for your efforts.

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  17. artgerritoppellandhampel says:
    August 18, 2018 at 6:34 pm

    Thanks, great tips! Just what I was looking for!

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  18. Scorpio IO says:
    August 19, 2018 at 1:43 pm

    Nice Tips, Thanks.

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  19. Noah Blumenthal says:
    August 19, 2018 at 3:26 pm

    I was wondering how to do this, thanks so much for sharing!

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  20. Ava Saboski says:
    August 19, 2018 at 9:24 pm

    I love this post. Just recently got into caring about branding and this has been a lifesaver. Looking forward to using some of these lessons when I get home.

    LikeLiked by 12 people

  21. ShankySalty says:
    August 20, 2018 at 2:41 am

    Great!!!! Thanks for this information😊

    LikeLiked by 13 people

  22. Jessie B. says:
    August 20, 2018 at 3:42 am

    Great tips! I’m just getter by starting on my own blog and could definitely use these tips. Thank you

    LikeLiked by 14 people

  23. আরাফাত সাদ খান says:
    August 20, 2018 at 12:55 pm

    Graphics is important for any product as visual senses are the strongest

    LikeLiked by 15 people

  24. D & D Productions says:
    August 20, 2018 at 5:58 pm

    Something to consider, as I’ve just started and would like to grow my readership! Thanks…

    LikeLiked by 15 people

  25. learngrow360 says:
    August 20, 2018 at 7:11 pm

    Love it! Thank You so much. I really need the help. I am just starting out and find this useful

    LikeLiked by 11 people

  26. devweber says:
    August 21, 2018 at 2:29 am

    Thank You, Love this post 😉

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  27. hay14 says:
    August 21, 2018 at 3:58 am

    This is great, I am just starting to take my blog a bit more seriously and this is exactly what i need 🙂

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  28. AndreaUNorth says:
    August 21, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    Thanks for sharing!

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  29. m says:
    August 22, 2018 at 11:10 am

    Great article with some idea-sparking examples! Thanks for sharing.

    LikeLiked by 10 people

  30. dreadraffer says:
    August 23, 2018 at 4:37 am

    thank you for the tips 🙂

    LikeLiked by 9 people

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