Goodbye Software. Hello Product. We needed a new look to represent our refined business focus, we have always excelled at app development but the perception of Kyan was as more of a generalist web agency here's the story behind the latest Kyan rebrand and how we made the change.
A new chapter
So, why are we rebranding? For us the rebrand is the physical manifestation of our repositioning to focus on supporting businesses in the age of technology disruption. We needed a shift in perception of the brand that was different enough to signify this change but that still retained the intangible Kyan 'feel'.
Rebranding is soul searching. We were looking for a rich mix of elements, not just a brand that will appeal to customers but also a story we tell about ourselves.
So how did we get here?
As ever we started with a blank sheet of paper, lots of sketching and brainstorming about the message we wanted to send. Nothing was off the table and we explored many possible options before arriving at a logotype that truly hit the mark.
Whilst a brand is so much more than just a logotype or brand mark, getting that bit right is the cornerstone upon which we were able to build the whole identity.
Then we struck gold
After a fairly prolonged period of iterations we hit on the solution. A brand new mark for a new direction. The new Kyan logomark is a new hybrid, not based on any existing typeface it's its own system of rotated and reflected glyphs that represent the letter shapes but have their own unique geometry.
Openness and honesty
The logotype itself has an intrinsic openness that allows it to be used over images and allow the elements underneath to bleed through and give additional meaning. This makes it particularly adaptable to use alongside the liveries of the clients we partner with.
A visual metaphor for client collaboration
The new mark is intended to be strong enough to be used in conjunction with our clients' branding. The logotype was designed with space to accommodate brand elements from client liveries.
To visually demonstrate our partnership with our clients the logomark has a deliberately open nature that allows elements of a client's brand to sit within it.
A new colour palette that defines us
The Kyan identity has it's own fresh colour palette, a new iteration of the Kyan blue and a softer, playful set of supporting accent colours.
The new mark is intended to be strong and recognisable enough to be used in chameleon mode alongside a client's brand colours.
Living with our new brand
One of the first live test of the palette was in our new offices — the images show the fantasy and reality of how that turned out. We're rather pleased with the results!
A lot of the thinking behind Kyan Campus has already adopted the new colour palette.
A charming new face — Biotif
The Kyan brand has always featured a strong, traditional sans serif typeface. We wanted to keep this functional feel, but put a modern and somewhat softer, more approachable, spin on it. So we chose Biotif, a great new sans serif with roots in classic Swiss design, but with a gentle playfulness and openness.
A new website for the new look
The Kyan website is our shop window, it's where we set out our stall and define our offering. As such it was the first crucial stress test of the new brand's capabilities.
From pitch work to print work
Print is dead, long live print. We all know designers love seeing their work in ink, it completes the creative process somehow. What works digitally can sometimes fall flat on the printed page, we needed a that remained strong on both. Nailed it.
Here's to what's next
Where do we go from here? The website is our first reveal, but pretty soon you'll see the new Kyan brand popping up everywhere. The next big outing for the new brand will be at WXG 2018. We're really looking forward to flexing the brand's muscles on this one, we're sure it'll be up to the task.
The new brand has really got us fired up in the office and we're looking to rolling it out fully. So expect to see a lot more of it from here on. From social media to events, we've got this covered.
Here's to a massive team effort to help bring this all together, and a new chapter for Kyan.
