Brand Expression

ObserveIT is at the forefront of insider threat management—an emerging market segment recognized in 2019 by Gartner. ObserveIT’s software platform centers on the idea that a business’s employees are simultaneously its most valuable asset and greatest security threat, with workers having direct access to sensitive information. With messaging focused on positivity and shining light on the objective truth of people’s actions, the company wanted to step away from dark, ominous “hacker” imagery that has long been synonymous with cybersecurity solutions. ObserveIT came to us for a visual identity to express the clarity and ease-of-use their platform provides to IT and HR departments without demonizing employees. We worked with them to develop a new logo, palette, website, business cards, annual report, trade show booth and video intro/outro animation.

To depict employees without demonizing them in a cybersecurity context, we curated images of people wearing casual clothing in environments with natural lighting. We developed a blurred photo treatment that underscored the clarity the platform provides relative to traditional cybersecurity methods. The blur effects cascaded to other brand elements such as the animated logo bumper and as an overlay for live video. The logo is minimal, with contrasting typographic weights alluding to the dichotomy between blur and focus. Furthermore, by keeping the letters “IT” bold, we placed emphasis on the platform’s target audience. With a nod toward loyalty and practicality, ObserveIT liked the blue in their previous palette, so we kept blue as the main brand color and supplemented with new accents.

We developed a brand that embraces ObserveIT’s monitoring capabilities while adding an element of humanism. Like their core platform, the company’s new logo is structured yet simple, and their extensible image style allows for unity across all assets. We created imagery that depicts ObserveIT’s positive outcomes through the metaphor of blur and clarity. They are now fully equipped with a multitude of assets to stand out in the cybersecurity market and increase exposure. With a well-rounded brand, ObserveIT is able to showcase their value and appeal to new and existing clients around the world, strengthening their public image as the insider threat landscape becomes more competitive.