Designers and non-designers alike struggle with common terminology when talking about brand marks, often using different terms interchangeably. When it comes to clarifying definitions, sometimes even the most seasoned professionals get confused.

在談論品牌商標時，設計師和非設計師都在使用通用術語，通常會互換使用不同的術語。 在澄清定義時，有時甚至是最有經驗的專業人員也會感到困惑。

There’s one thing that’s easy enough to agree on: Any established and repeatable mark that represents your brand or product, visually, is a logo. But does a logo need to include text? Not necessarily. How about an icon that symbolically represents your product or brand value? Again, no.

有一件很容易達成共識的事情：任何在視覺上代表您的品牌或產品的既定且可重復的標志都是徽標。 但是徽標需要包含文字嗎？ 不必要。 象征性地代表您的產品或品牌價值的圖標怎么樣？ 再說一次

Some of the most iconic brand marks are merely abstract symbols that, in reality, mean nothing, but have achieved a high level of recognition through well-intentioned brand building and constant care.

一些最具標志性的品牌標記僅僅是抽象的符號，實際上并沒有任何意義，而是通過精心設計的品牌和不斷的關注獲得了很高的認可度。

Many of them have evolved over time. Take Mastercard for example. The Mastercard logo of the 1990s (the height of the magnetic strip era) was one of the most recognizable of the time, and stood for 20 years until a simplified redesign was introduced in 2016. More a refresh than a redesign, the new logo streamlined the overlapping circles into simplified geometric shapes and brought the company name—now lowercase—into a secondary space below the corporate symbol.

他們中的許多人都隨著時間的推移而發展。 以萬事達卡為例。 1990年代(磁條時代的高度)的萬事達卡徽標是當時最知名的徽標，并持續了20年，直到2016年推出了簡化的重新設計。重疊的圓圈變成簡化的幾何形狀，并將公司名稱(現在為小寫字母)帶到公司符號下方的輔助空間中。

These changes not only brought the Mastercard logo into a digital era ruled by minuscule social media avatars, but also prepared them for the next evolution. In 2019 Mastercard dropped the name from their logo altogether. A bold statement to capitalize on the brand recognition the company had been building since the 1970s; and one that few brands have been able to attain.

這些變化不僅使萬事達卡徽標進入了由微不足道的社交媒體化身統治的數字時代，而且為下一步的發展做好了準備。 在2019年，萬事達卡(Mastercard)完全從其徽標中刪除了該名稱。 大膽的聲明，以利用公司自1970年代以來一直在建立的品牌知名度； 而只有少數幾個品牌能夠做到的。

As the visual design of the logo underwent changes, so did the definition of what type of logo it became with each iteration. How so? Let’s take a look at the 6 categories that all logos fall into.

隨著徽標視覺設計的變化，每次迭代后徽標類型的定義也隨之改變。 為何如此？ 讓我們看一下所有徽標的6個類別。

基于類型的標記 (Type-based marks)

會標 (Monogram)

Monograms—also known as lettermarks—are logos that consist entirely of letters (not words). More often than not, these letters are brand name initials. Think HP, IBM, and HBO. Monogram logos are a favorite of baseball teams and wedding parties alike.

字母組合(也稱為字母標記)是完全由字母(不是單詞)組成的徽標。 這些字母經常是商標名稱的縮寫。 想想HP，IBM和HBO。 會標徽標是棒球隊和婚禮聚會的最愛。

In many cases, the monogram represents the shorthand of an otherwise long brand name. Organizations like ESPN, CNN, and NASA not only utilize a monogram to represent their brands visually, but adopt the shortened moniker for verbal reference as well. In other cases—like Warner Brothers and Louis Vuitton—the monogrammed letters serve as a visual identifier only.

在許多情況下，會標代表原本就很長的品牌名稱的縮寫。 ESPN，CNN和NASA等組織不僅利用會標來形象地表示其品牌，而且還采用縮短的綽號作為口頭參考。 在其他情況下(例如華納兄弟公司和路易威登公司)，字母組合字母僅充當視覺識別符。

字標 (Wordmark)

A Wordmark (or logotype) is similar to the monogram in that both are entirely type-based. However a wordmark visualizes the full brand name. Some of the most recognizable in this category include Coca-Cola, Google, and Disney. Wordmarks rely on a strong, and often stylized, font choice to help instill uniqueness and communicate brand personality.

字標(或徽標)與會標相似，因為兩者完全基于類型。 但是，文字標記會顯示完整的品牌名稱。 此類別中最知名的一些產品包括可口可樂，谷歌和迪士尼。 字標依賴于強大且通常為風格化的字體選擇，以幫助灌輸獨特性并傳達品牌個性。

Wordmarks are devoid of brand symbols and icons and rely on the brand name to do the heavy lifting, although some text decoration is acceptable—often achieved through the modification of a letterform (Vans, Casper) or clever introduction of shape within the white space (FedEx, Toys ‘R’ Us). The wordmark has proved to be a favorite design choice in the streaming business, with Netflix, Hulu, Vudu, Philo, and others adopting the wordmark for competition in the smart device marketplace.

字標沒有商標符號和圖標，而是依靠商標來進行繁重的工作，盡管可以接受一些文字修飾，通常是通過修改字母形式(范斯，卡斯珀)或在空白處巧妙地引入形狀來實現的(聯邦快遞，玩具反斗城)。 事實證明，該字標是流媒體業務中最喜歡的設計選擇，Netflix，Hulu，Vudu，Philo和其他公司采用該字標在智能設備市場中進行競爭。

圖形標記 (Graphic-based marks)

符號 (Symbol)

Symbols (or brandmarks) are the opposite of wordmarks: A graphic sans text. Often, and historically, referred to as an icon, the name “symbol” is more fitting for a digital era where the icon has become synonymous with the user interface. To rely solely on a symbol as a primary mark, brands need to be well-established and instantly recognizable. This is often an evolution that takes place over time (like Mastercard) and is rarely an option for new brands.

符號(或商標)與字標相反：圖形無文字。 通常，從歷史上講，“符號”一詞更適合于數字時代，在該時代，圖標已成為用戶界面的代名詞。 要僅依靠符號作為主要商標，就必須建立良好的品牌并立即識別品牌。 這通常是隨著時間的推移而發生的演變(例如萬事達卡)，而很少是新品牌的選擇。

Nike’s Swoosh, the Twitter bird, and Target’s bullseye all fall into this category: Brand symbols that need no textual introduction. But the meaning of the symbol doesn’t necessarily need to be highly recognizable. Many brands utilize abstract symbols that gain the same recognition over time. Think BP’s starburst or Airbnb’s weird genitalia logo.

耐克(Nike)的Swoosh，推特(Twitter)鳥和塔吉特(Target)的靶心都屬于這一類：不需要文字介紹的品牌符號。 但是，該符號的含義并不需要高度可識別。 許多品牌使用的抽象符號會隨著時間的流逝獲得相同的認可。 想想BP的爆炸形或Airbnb怪異的生殖器徽標。

Regardless of what symbol logos visually reference—abstract or signifier—they all perform the same job of visually representing brands that have become bigger than the brand name.

無論在視覺上引用什么符號徽標(抽象或指示符)，它們都在視覺上代表已經大于品牌名稱的品牌執行相同的工作。

吉祥物 (Mascot)

Mascots act as a spokesperson for a brand, and a dream project for character illustrators. They live heavily in the worlds of consumer packaged goods (Tony the Tiger, Twinkie the Kid), fast food restaurants (Wendy’s, KFC), and sports. They can serve as brand ambassadors that appeal to children, intimidating mascots for NFL teams, or whimsical characters that add personality to a brand.

吉祥物是品牌的代言人，也是角色插畫家的夢想項目。 他們生活在包裝消費品(老虎托尼，小男孩Twinkie)，快餐店(溫迪，肯德基)和體育世界中。 他們可以充當吸引兒童的品牌大使，威脅NFL球隊的吉祥物，或者是為品牌增添個性的異想天開的人物。

徽標 (Logo marks)

組合標記 (Combination mark)

When a symbol and a wordmark fall in love, they make a logo. More specifically, a combination mark (a traditional logo) is comprised of a type-based and a graphic-based mark. Regardless of the orientation—stacked or side-by-side—combination marks rely on both visual and textual elements to establish the brand mark.

當一個符號和一個字標墜入愛河時，它們就形成一個徽標。 更具體地說，組合標記(傳統徽標)由基于類型的標記和基于圖形的標記組成。 不論方向(堆疊或并排)，組合商標都依靠視覺和文字元素來建立品牌商標。

Amazon is a “prime” example with its smile symbol always accompanying all forms of the visual identity, whether it’s the full company name or the sole lowercase “a” sometimes used for small-scale graphics.

亞馬遜是一個“原始”示例，其微笑符號始終伴隨著所有形式的視覺識別，無論是公司的全名還是有時用于小尺寸圖形的唯一小寫字母“ a”。

The combination mark is often the most versatile choice, especially for new brands that have yet to build visual recognition and brand awareness.

組合標記通常是最通用的選擇，特別是對于尚未建立視覺識別和品牌知名度的新品牌。

徽章 (Badge)

Also known as an emblem, the badge logo is a combination mark that is contained in an enclosed shape. Often the badge acts as a container for the brand name and symbol (or mascot), but in some cases the overall badge shape–Harley-Davidson, for example—takes on its own life as a visual identifier for the brand.

徽章徽標也稱為標志，是包含在封閉形狀中的組合標記。 徽章通常充當品牌名稱和符號(或吉祥物)的容器，但是在某些情況下，徽章的整體形狀(例如Harley-Davidson)將自己的生命當作品牌的視覺標識。

Emblems have continued to endure in the automotive industry, are often a go-to choice for apparel embroidery, but are most notably associated with private schools and universities because of the tradition, authority, and exclusivity that they represent.

徽章在汽車工業中一直持續存在，通常是服裝刺繡的首選，但由于它們代表的傳統，權威和獨占性，因此與私立學校和大學特別相關。

The beautiful thing is: These options aren’t exclusive. Many brands—including many of the examples mentioned here—employ several different logo types to round out their visual presence. Choice often comes down to usage, and strong brands are built on cohesive, and scalable, brand identities. Symbols, wordmarks, and combination marks can all be used in tandem to build a successful visual brand. And that brand can evolve over time, as long as it’s done with intention and purpose.

美麗的是：這些選項不是唯一的。 許多品牌(包括此處提到的許多示例)采用幾種不同的徽標類型來完善其視覺形象。 選擇通常取決于使用情況，而強大的品牌則建立在具有凝聚力且可擴展的品牌形象之上。 符號，文字標記和組合標記均可一起使用，以建立成功的視覺品牌。 只要有意圖和目標，該品牌就可以隨著時間而發展。