Includes work from industry giants like Pentagram , Vignelli Associates , Chermayeff & Geismar , Wolff Olins , and Landor .
Text encased inside a symbol or icon, often associated with schools, organizations, or automotive brands (e.g., Harley-Davidson, Starbucks).
For design students, the book is an education in itself—a visual textbook that teaches through example rather than through lecture. For working designers, it is an endless source of inspiration and a useful reference for the research phase of any identity project. For brand managers and marketers, it offers a deep understanding of what makes typographic branding effective.
Covers identities from Western Europe, North America, Australia, South Africa, the Far East, Israel, Iran, and Eastern Europe. The Author: Michael Evamy
This section covers wordmarks that integrate a symbol into the text itself. The FedEx arrow is the classic example, but Evamy unearths dozens of lesser-known gems where a counter (the hole inside an 'O' or 'e') becomes a globe, a sun, or a button. Logotype Michael Evamy
Published as a spiritual successor and companion to Logo , Logotype focuses exclusively on text-based branding.
Sprinkled throughout the visual gallery are deep-dive profiles of legendary design agencies and specific iconic projects. These sections pull back the curtain on the creative briefs, typographic exploration, and client presentations that led to some of the world's most recognizable wordmarks. The Legacy of Michael Evamy
Here is how professionals actually use the book:
Michael Evamy’s Logotype is not just a book; it is a masterclass in restraint. It is the microscope through which we examine the atoms of branding. For the student, it is an education. For the professional, it is a weapon. Includes work from industry giants like Pentagram ,
Yet the fundamentals that Evamy documents remain unchanged. A well-constructed logotype must still balance form and function, distinctiveness and legibility, tradition and innovation. The formal categories Evamy established—modular, intertwined, cropped, reversed, stacked—remain as relevant today as they were in 2012. Indeed, many contemporary logotypes can be found within Evamy’s taxonomy, demonstrating its enduring analytical power.
Showcases fluid, personal, human, and expressive typography.
Heritage-driven, trustworthy, and traditional identities. Geometric: Built on strict mathematical grids and shapes.
Finding inspiration among 1,300 designs requires exceptional organization. Evamy divides the book logically by typographic style and geometry rather than industry sector. The primary classification framework features: Design Category Structural Elements Core Objective Whole words, customized fonts, ligatures Creating unique readability for full names Monograms & Initials Interlocking letters, combined glyphs Compressing multi-word brands into single marks Single-Letter Marks Isolated characters, heavy abstraction High-impact, recognizable icons for digital app scaling For working designers, it is an endless source
The distinction is crucial. A logotype (or wordmark) is a brand name designed as a distinctive typographic treatment. Think of the flowing script of Coca-Cola, the distinctive slab serif of Sony, or the custom-drawn letterforms of Google. Unlike a logo symbol (like Nike’s swoosh or Apple’s apple), a logotype must work with the literal text of a company’s name, making it simultaneously a piece of communication and a piece of visual art.
So, what makes a great logotype? According to Michael Evamy, it's all about simplicity, elegance, and effectiveness. Here are some key principles that guide his approach to logotype design:
In the world of graphic design, few books have achieved the cult status of Michael Evamy’s reference works. Following the massive success of his 2007 landmark publication Logo , Evamy turned his encyclopaedic lens onto a more focused, yet equally fascinating, subject: the logotype. Published in 2012 by Laurence King Publishing, quickly established itself as the definitive modern collection of wordmarks, monograms, and other text-based corporate marks—a typographic bible for designers, branding professionals, and design students worldwide.
A literal graphic representation of the brand (e.g., Apple, Twitter).