{"id":4204,"date":"2020-07-27T17:10:05","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T17:10:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/"},"modified":"2020-07-27T17:10:05","modified_gmt":"2020-07-27T17:10:05","slug":"whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s the Difference Between an Icon and a Logo?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It\u2019s not unusual to refer to a well-known and highly recognizable logo as iconic. For example, Apple, McDonald\u2019s, and IBM all have rather iconic logos.<\/p>\n

This can lead some to believe that logos and icons are interchangeable. That\u2019s not the case though.<\/p>\n

There is a difference between an icon and a logo. We\u2019ll bring to light the\u00a0distinction.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Logo<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A logo represents a business or organization. We mentioned above the logos for Apple, IBM, and McDonald\u2019s. When you see these logos you immediately think of these companies.<\/p>\n

Sometimes a logo is very straightforward; such as Apple\u2019s. There\u2019s no guesswork behind\u00a0what\u00a0the logo stands for.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Other times, a logo may be more abstract. Take the Nike \u201cswoosh.\u201d<\/p>\n

This simple but unique shape conveys movement and speed. There is zero\u00a0mention of the company\u2019s name, yet everyone knows the \u201cswoosh\u201d stands for Nike. It\u2019s a graphic summary of their brand.<\/p>\n

This sort of simplicity, versatility, and timelessness makes for an extremely successful logo.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A logo\u00a0can be\u00a0any shape, color, or dimension \u2013 though designers are aware of the psychology of\u00a0color<\/a>\u00a0and shape when\u00a0creating logos. A logo, rather than an icon, is what would be presented on a large banner, custom medals<\/a> or drinking glasses, or a tattoo.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a form of advertising, while an icon is not. But there are other differences as well.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Icon<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Icons have, for centuries,\u00a0been utilized to visually represent concepts or actions. They serve to bridge the gap between abstract and practical.<\/p>\n

This\u00a0continues to be their job today.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In the simplest of terms, an icon\u00a0is a graphical representation that\u00a0summarizes an operation and relays it to the user. This is one of the ways it differs from a logo. It represents an action.<\/p>\n

For example, the Facebook \u201clike\u201d icon allows a person to quickly denote their approval of a post without having to respond with words.<\/p>\n

The Technical Element<\/h4>\n

Logo and icon design are also different from one another in that icon design is influenced by technical dimensions.<\/p>\n

Since icons are most commonly used in apps and are a major element in UI\/UX interface, they must also abide by the restrictions of the systems that will display them. While there aren\u2019t shape requirements, if it\u2019s used for an organization, it should fit into a square. Think of the iTunes icon.<\/p>\n

On other occasions, an icon\u00a0is used in responsive web design to help visitors navigate sites. You\u2019re probably familiar with the three lines at the top of a website\u2019s navigation bar. This is called a hamburger icon \u2013 since it looks vaguely like a hamburger. But it also looks like a list and it serves as a menu.<\/p>\n

Now You Know the Difference Between\u00a0Icon and Logo<\/h2>\n

It\u2019s true that\u00a0some logos use an icon to distinguish them from others. For the most part, however,\u00a0the difference between\u00a0icon and logo is what each represents, as well as the technical aspects.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, you want each to be simple, effective, and recognizable.<\/p>\n

And for more great articles about logos and marketing, keep checking back with us!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s not unusual to refer to a well-known and highly recognizable logo as iconic. For example, Apple, McDonald\u2019s, and IBM all have rather iconic logos. This can lead some to believe that logos and icons are interchangeable. That\u2019s not the case though. There is a difference between an icon and a logo. We\u2019ll bring to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":4205,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat's the Difference Between an Icon and a Logo? • Online Logo Maker's Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It's not unusual to refer to a well-known and highly recognizable logo as iconic. 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For example, Apple, McDonald's, and IBM all have rather iconic logos.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Online Logo Maker's Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/onlinelogomaker\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-07-27T17:10:05+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1b13771550a0a1f4e4a79a89d7d10fc3.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2000\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1414\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@logogenerator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@logogenerator\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Logo Design Tips and Tricks\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\">\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\">\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Online Logo Maker\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/onlinelogomaker\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/onlinelogomaker\/\",\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCQ9jGSx6qnAo6_hC290O5Pg\",\"https:\/\/www.pinterest.com\/onlinelogomaker\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/logogenerator\"],\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#logo\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/onlinelogomaker.png\",\"width\":1551,\"height\":199,\"caption\":\"Online Logo Maker\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#logo\"}},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/\",\"name\":\"Online Logo Maker's Blog\",\"description\":\"Your number #1 design blog is all about design, branding, freebies and trends!\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/?s={search_term_string}\",\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/#primaryimage\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/1b13771550a0a1f4e4a79a89d7d10fc3.jpg\",\"width\":2000,\"height\":1414,\"caption\":\"Icons and Logo\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/#webpage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/\",\"name\":\"What's the Difference Between an Icon and a Logo? • Online Logo Maker's Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.onlinelogomaker.com\/blog\/whats-the-difference-between-an-icon-and-a-logo\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-07-27T17:10:05+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-07-27T17:10:05+00:00\",\"description\":\"It's not unusual to refer to a well-known and highly recognizable logo as iconic. 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