Some identities show nothing about the activities, ideals or even the names of their respective companies, but are designed with unique graphic or typographic treatments. Chrysler’s five-pointed star inside a pentagram has nothing to do with cars. Neither does Chevrolet’s parallelogram. Exxon’s wordmark with interlocked “Xs” demonstrates no corporate activity, ideals or name. And there’s no particular overt message in Ford’s wordmark. All of these are abstract.
Even without the psychological ties of the other three conceptual approaches, abstract identities can be effective. However, the shapes of abstract identities must still be harmonious with the nature of the company and its ideals.
Now that we’ve covered the three possible identity components and the four possible concept approaches, what do we do with this information?
Adapted from Logo Design Theory: How Branding Design Really Works