Five AI were changing direction. Essentially, they were bringing together everything they’d learned from building their own fleet of driverless cars, and packaging it all up into a platform for autonomous vehicle development. They also wanted to drop the ‘AI’ part from their existing logo (apparently it had become a bit passé), and start a new phase with a new identity.
At first, it was thought that there’d be a light-touch rebrand, which could have ranged from just a slight adjustment, to something completely different.
And there was also the new platform to think about.
And there was also the new platform to think about.
The initial exploration for which, was based on futuristic, intuitive and modular tools (and their users), as well as animated representations of an ODD*.
*Operational Design Domain - a description of the conditions in which an autonomous vehicle is designed to operate safely.
While the specifics of the platform were still being thought through, some of the elements from the visual exploration started to appear in presentations and internal campaigns.
And it was nice to work with more colour, especially when approaching something serious, like these illustrations for an internal deck about office use during the pandemic.
And it was nice to work with more colour, especially when approaching something serious, like these illustrations for an internal deck about office use during the pandemic.
At around the same time, I began working with the team to come up with potential names for the new platform. Sessions were based on competitor analysis, a positioning strategy, and discussions about the offering and purpose.
While the exercise was eventually parked (nobody could agree on a name), it was still worthwhile, as it revealed a clear set of guiding principles on which ideas for a new overarching identity could be based.
The challenge was in trying to convey all of the principles in one logo.
It definitely felt like any new logo required an element of autonomy or motion. So I started experimenting, animating various shapes, creating loops and arrangements, and eventually ended up at an animation that could (albeit with a bit of explanation) represent the key principles - Modular, Collaborative, Efficient, Perpetual, and Five.
To reinforce the concepts of progression, and perpetual motion, there was then a thought that the logo could be variable, rendered with any individual frame of the animation, and potentially always different. The practicalities of which were hard to grasp for some, and it probably would’ve been a nightmare to guideline.
So instead, I utilised a specific, and particularly active frame for the final logo mark.
I then edited and formalised the original animation, to make sure that when and wherever possible, the logo could be presented in motion.
From the initial brand presentation — lock-up variations, including a standalone symbol, allowing for flexibility across a wide range of touchpoints.
When the new identity was revealed, it was important to make a point, so the symbol element was a prominent and distinct feature.
Once the identity was more established, and where possible, I wanted to use the symbol thoughtfully, as part of an evocative message or concept, rather than just plonking a logo on something.
Once the identity was more established, and where possible, I wanted to use the symbol thoughtfully, as part of an evocative message or concept, rather than just plonking a logo on something.
Five’s website also got an update, including lots of illustration, and a section about the new brand and usage guidelines.
Alongside the rebrand and the web update, there have been some other projects I’ve enjoyed...
These are ideas for Five’s office walls, based around visions of the future (automotive or otherwise).
The original plan was to garner art and ideas from local school children, which proved to be a bit tricky to coordinate, but it may all progress once teams are back in the offices more regularly.
The original plan was to garner art and ideas from local school children, which proved to be a bit tricky to coordinate, but it may all progress once teams are back in the offices more regularly.
Pictograms for internal training docs, as well as custom emojis to promote company values through Slack messaging.
For a team Christmas gift, the ‘Build the Future’ message (previously used for recruitment comms) was promoted in the form of a bespoke Lego set. This allowed everyone to literally build their own vision of future mobility (or whatever else they fancied).
As you can probably imagine, selecting a good range of bricks and pieces in (near enough) brand colours for 100+ individual sets was lots of fun.
Eventually, both the Lego idea, and the pictograms, spilled over into a graduate recruitment website.
As you can probably imagine, selecting a good range of bricks and pieces in (near enough) brand colours for 100+ individual sets was lots of fun.
Eventually, both the Lego idea, and the pictograms, spilled over into a graduate recruitment website.
There’s also been lots of social and swag for ongoing internal and external campaigns (everyone loves a new mug). So all in all, a very mixed bag.
Working with Five has been an ongoing thing, and there may be more to show in due course, but I think I’ll put that on another page.
And if you’re interested in what Five looked like before all this, you can see some of that here.
Working with Five has been an ongoing thing, and there may be more to show in due course, but I think I’ll put that on another page.
And if you’re interested in what Five looked like before all this, you can see some of that here.
