Evolution of the Pixelhaze Brand
PixelHaze Academy member Ken Rees reviews the Pixelhaze branding from it’s creation in 2015 to it’s current day appearance.
Pixelhaze has developed vastly over the years from its foundation in 2015 to present day. Not only has it evolved as a business with the addition of the Pixelhaze Academy, but also as a brand.
Looking at how the branding has changed over a 5 year period it’s clear that Pixelhaze’s philosophy has stayed true in its development. The original start up logo was created in a short space of time in an effort to set up the new office and business alongside it. The original logo was very complex and literal, using many square pixel blocks to replicate the pixel ‘haze’. Staying true to its design philosophy, the branding was ‘Demystified’ and simplified. The ‘P’ was altered to become far more curved and stylistic. It is a simplistic take on the original logo. The ‘haze’ of the logo copies this sentiment and has been narrowed down to four pixels rather than a cluster of them, still giving the same hazed effect. This icon complemented with a fresh new font which has the same style as the new logo has made our branding look more approachable and friendly. The original font was too thin, sharp, and hard to read from a distance, and could be argued that it looked too corporate for a design agency.
Along with the new logo design a fresh coat of paint was applied to the branding, the addition of the dark ‘Tardis’ blue contrasted with yellow made it more vibrant allowing it to stand out. The original colour scheme, although friendly, lacked this contrast and could sometimes be lost among other popular web applications which use the same blue and white colour scheme (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn). The new colour pallet is bolder and stands out compared to the older design.
With the addition of the newly founded Pixelhaze Acadmey, there was a drastic shift in how we at Pixelhaze perceived ourselves. Pixelhaze has always prided itself in being the champion for the little guy. We offer high quality professional services at an affordable price. No matter the scale of the project we always put in professionalism you’d expect from a much larger design agency based in cities. Keeping on the topic of ‘Pixels’ we decided to champion a retro 80’s video game aesthetic throughout this new brand. This pixelated videogame design is prominent in our illustrated banners and videos we have been creating and intend to launch over the coming weeks. This new brand identity shows the playful side of our design agency whilst retaining professionalism.
With the new brand identity, we were able to create animated video intros which played during the Pixelhaze Academy’s online video tutorials. Sound & Visuals all kept to the retro aesthetic. The retro feel gives people a deep sense of nostalgia for those who were brought up during the 80’s. This same 80’s style has been so popularised in today’s culture that everyone can recognise and relate to the styling. Within the artwork itself we’ve used metaphors to which explain our philosophy in playful, pixelated visuals
As the Pixelhaze grows even further, I’m excited to see how the brand will grow and develop in the years to come as we continue to demystify technology.
- Kenneth Rees
