PROJECT
Arvata
CLIENT
ARVATA IN ATLANTA, GEORGIA
SERVICES
BRAND STRATEGY
BRAND IDENTITY
WEB DESIGN
WEB DEVELOPMENT
USER EXPERIENCE
PRODUCT DESIGN
Brand strategy
Arvata exists to re-imagine the experience of API Management altogether—to be more agile, more empowering, more rewarding, and more delightful. We partnered with Arvata to design an identity system that captures the accessibility of their User Experience.
The world of API management is complex, so from the beginning of the project we worked closely with the Arvata team to understand their competitors, provide brand insight within their market, and form a brand strategy that would differentiate them from the pack. We conducted an immersive discovery process which included a competitive audit, user experience design consultation, a media scan of market leaders, and a brand positioning matrix.
We learned early on that the API market was saturated with technical language which was often inaccessible at its core. We created a brand strategy that would make Arvata more human, and which would highlight the company’s focus on designing digital products for people. Arvata is a company with design at its core—whether in product design, user-experience, or communication. The brand position we created represents who Arvata is at a fundamental level, and embodies the core aspects of its brand—an API Management product which is playful in spirit, disruptive by nature, and friendly enough to talk to.
The name
The name Arvata is derived from Airavata—the name of a mythological white elephant from Hindu tradition who carried the king of the gods, Indra, and thusly was made king of the elephants. Why choose an elephant to embody the company? Elephants may be huge, powerful animals, but they have the fine motor skills necessary to manipulate even the most small and delicate objects. They paint pictures and solve puzzles; they’re intelligent; they live in complex social structures; they have compassion and personality. Although their massive size could make them intimidating, they are relied upon for their ability to transport people and cargo as reliable companions.
This name perfectly reflected Arvata’s mission within the world of API management: to tackle big problems such as development bottlenecks with ingenuity and intelligence. We also helped Arvata to form a core set of values to highlight their uniqueness:
Thoughtful, but not inflated
Human, not robotic
Sophisticated, but not posh
Curious, never naive
Disruptive, but not disorderly
Visionary, but not overambitious
Playful, but not frivolous
Clever, never cunning
Brand identity
The branding for Arvata revolves around three
primary concepts:
The Dot & The Line
The dot and the line are the core components of the Arvata Visual Identity. This idea illustrates the dynamic connection of graph networks in API management—whether teams, containers, routes, NLP, etc. Literal lines convey a clear line of sight to activity.
Modularity
Extreme adaptability and modularity allow the brand to extend to a wide variety of applications—in step with Arvata’s friendly and customizable user experience. The visual identity can be seen as a system of parts—a kit—that can be used and expanded as Arvata grows.
Connection
The network of connected lines shows strength, almost like architectural trusses, demonstrating the product’s impact on companies who utilize it; however, it’s articulate, lightweight, specific quality can’t be ignored. Additionally, this idea connotes security: the pieces lock together to form precise, rigid boundaries.
Brand website
To bring the brand together in an easily accessible way, we designed and built a digital brand guideline to highlight the core components of the brand, and to make various aspects readily available for use.
Outcome
In an industry segment teeming with cliché cool tones and too-technical messaging, Arvata’s warm, bright palette and bold geometric patterns allow them to shine. We have continued to partner with them throughout the user experience and user interface phases of their products.