What Are the Different Types of Logo I Need as a Start-Up?

Written By Chris Shirley MA FRGS

When starting a new business, it’s easy to focus on the product, the pitch, or the website. But your logo is often the very first thing people will notice, and judge. It’s not just one logo file either. To build a solid brand foundation, your start-up needs a small collection of logo variations for different uses, not just one design in one format.

 

Here’s a simple breakdown of the different types of logo you should have ready as a start-up, and why each one matters.

 

1. Primary Logo (Full Logo)

This is your main logo, usually the one that includes your business name, tagline (if you have one), and your icon or symbol if it’s part of the design.

 

Example:

A coffee start-up called “FuelHaus” might have a horizontal logo that reads:

FuelHaus – Coffee. Recharged.

with a small lightning bolt cup icon to the left of the text.

 

2. Secondary Logo (Stacked or Simplified Layout)

A stacked version of your primary logo used when there’s less horizontal space.

 

Example:

The FuelHaus secondary logo could be a centred layout with the lightning bolt icon on top, “FuelHaus” underneath, and the tagline below that. It fits better on social media or a mobile site footer.

 

3. Logo Icon / Brand Mark

A small symbol or design element taken from your full logo, used on its own.

 

Example:

Just the lightning bolt coffee cup on its own, perfect for a mobile app icon or favicon on your website browser tab.

 

4. Wordmark / Logotype

A version of the logo that includes only the brand name in your brand font, no symbols.

 

Example:

A clean, text-only version that simply says FuelHaus in the same typography. Useful for minimal designs, footer use, or clean email headers.

 

5. Black & White Versions

Logos that still look good in black or white without relying on colour.

 

Example:

The full logo in solid black on a white background or reversed to white on a black background, handy for laser printing, black-and-white packaging mock-ups, or placing the logo over a coloured photo.

 

6. Transparent Background Files

Logos with no solid background so they can be used flexibly across designs.

 

Example:

A PNG or SVG file of your full logo that can be dropped onto a photo of your product or over a colourful website header, without leaving a white box around it.

 

Final Thought:

Having these logo types from day one gives your brand consistency, clarity, and polish. It also saves you time and stress when launching content, printing merch, or briefing new partners. It’s a small detail that shows you're taking your start-up seriously.

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Chris Shirley MA FRGS

About the Author:

Chris is the founder of Hiatus.Design, a mission-driven branding and website design company that works with clients all over the world.

Over the course of his life, he has travelled to more than 60 countries across six continents, earned two Guinness World Records, completed the legendary Marathon des Sables, summited Mont Blanc and unclimbed peaks in Asia, become a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society (FRGS), rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and obtained a Masterʼs degree in Business Management (MA).

https://www.hiatus.design