Wordmark logo design: when your name is the logo

I am Vedran. I have designed 250+ brands in 8 years, most of them for B2B tech, SaaS and AI teams. Many of them asked the same thing first: do we need a symbol, or is our name enough? Here is how I answer it.

A wordmark is your name, set in letters that are drawn for you. It is not a font you type. The letters are shaped, spaced and joined so the name looks like one thing.

Google, Stripe and FedEx use wordmarks. You read the logo and you know the name at the same time.

A logo can have three parts:

Pick a wordmark first when most of these are true:

• Your name is short. Up to about 10 letters works best.
• People can say it after reading it once.
• You are new, and people still need to learn the name.
• Your name already says something, so a symbol would only repeat it.

Pick a symbol as well when:

• You need an app icon or favicon. A full name does not read at 16 px.
• Your name is long or has two or three words.
• You sell in many countries and want a sign that works in any language.

For most SaaS teams I build both. The wordmark does the daily work. The symbol covers the small places.

This is my process. It takes days, not hours, because small details decide if a name looks cheap or strong.

1. Find the idea. I read the brief and pick one thing the name must show. For ImpactPilot it was direction, from risk to renewal.
2. Test letter styles. I set the name in many letter shapes: sharp, round, wide, narrow. Most die in the first hour.
3. Draw on a grid. I redraw every letter on one grid, so curves, stems and gaps match.
4. Fix the spacing by eye. Letters like "A", "V" and "T" make holes. I move each pair until the name looks even.
5. Test it small and big. I check the name at 16 px, on a phone, on a slide and on a sign.
6. Make the files. You get AI, SVG, PDF and PNG, in colour, black and white.

• It reads in one look. No letter needs a second glance.
• It has one detail you remember. One cut, one joined pair or one shape. Not five.
• It works in one colour. If it needs a gradient to look good, it is not done.
• It works small. Check it at 16 px. Many wordmarks fail here.
• It fits the product. A security tool and a design tool should not look the same.

• Picking a free font and calling it a logo. Anyone can type the same thing.
• Too many details. They turn into noise at small sizes.
• Letters too close together. They blur on screens.
• No symbol for the app icon, so the team crops the first letter in a hurry.
• No files for print. Ask for vector files from day one.

What is the difference between a wordmark and a logotype? They mean the same thing. Both are a logo made only of the name.

Is a wordmark cheaper than a logo with a symbol? Not always. Drawing good custom letters takes real time. I give one fixed price in writing after a 15-minute call, because every name is different.

Can I use a font for my wordmark? You can start with one, but a good wordmark changes the letters so it is yours. A plain font is easy to copy and hard to protect.

How long does a wordmark take? My Brand Start package with the logo takes 10 to 14 days.

Do I need a symbol too? If you have an app, a favicon or social profiles, yes. A full name does not read at 16 px.

Vedran Obradović, founder and Branding Specialist at Vizura Studio® in Zagreb. 250+ brands in 8 years. Updated 3 November 2026.