No
Three routes for Northbeam
Our sample SaaS brand, Northbeam, makes workflow software for finance teams. Here are three directions a designer, or Astitva, would explore.
Northbeam
Route 1 · Wordmark
The name is the logo
A plain, well-spaced wordmark that sits in the nav and the invoice header.
No
Route 2 · Monogram
Built for the app icon
A lettermark built on a grid, which becomes the favicon and the app icon.
Northbeam
Route 3 · Symbol and name
A mark that means something
A simple abstract symbol made from the product's core shape, like a block or a node.
The typeface does most of the work
A neutral grotesk keeps the logo calm next to the product UI, so the software does the talking. Northbeam uses Plus Jakarta Sans.
NorthbeamWebsite header
NorthbeamPitch deck footer
NorthbeamEmail signature
No
App iconNo
32 pxN
FaviconThe size test: a logo that only works big is not finished.
The background test
Your logo will sit on photos, dark screens and printed paper. Check every combination before you commit.
Northbeam
Northbeam
Northbeam
Northbeam
Skip the SaaS clichés
Customers have seen these on every competitor. They make a new brand look borrowed.
Clouds and gearsRocket shipsAbstract swooshes
What works in SaaS
- A favicon that is recognisable in a row of 20 browser tabs
- A mark that looks right in both light and dark mode
Brand feel to aim for
Most B2B tools use the same blue. Buyers comparing six tabs cannot tell you apart.
ClearCompetentSteady
Test
Open 20 browser tabs of tools your buyer uses and put your favicon among them. If you cannot find it in two seconds, simplify.
From brief to logo in four steps
Write the strategy
Positioning, audience and voice decide what the logo must say.
Explore three routes
Wordmark, monogram and symbol. Compare them side by side.
Run the tests
Small sizes, backgrounds and the real places customers see it.
Lock the rules
Clear space, minimum size and colours, written in a brand book.
Questions
What type of logo is best for a SaaS startup?
Most early SaaS startups do best with a wordmark, because people learn the name faster. Add a monogram for the app icon and a symbol only when it says something specific.
Which logo ideas should a SaaS startup avoid?
The category clichés: clouds and gears, rocket ships, abstract swooshes. They make you look like everyone else.
How do I test a logo before using it?
Open 20 browser tabs of tools your buyer uses and put your favicon among them. If you cannot find it in two seconds, simplify.
Can Astitva design my logo?
Yes. Astitva writes your brand strategy from a short brief, then draws three custom wordmark routes. You pick one and get it finished with usage rules. New accounts get 50 free credits.
Get three logo routes for your startup
Astitva writes your brand strategy, draws three custom wordmark routes, and finishes the one you choose with usage rules and a brand book.
Start free with 50 credits