Zendesk brand refresh

During the first 15 years in business, the Zendesk brand identity had undergone significant evolution, each phase driven by key business milestones: an IPO, strategic acquisitions, periods of hypergrowth, increased competitive pressure, and most recently, generative AI.

In 2022, Zendesk entered a period of stagnation, flatlined growth, and increased competitive pressure. As the industry leader and innovator in customer experience, Zendesk was due to pivot and create a refreshed standard. Over 18 months, the in-house creative team developed a new look and feel, which launched in May 2023, at Relate, the company’s flagship user conference.

Role: Executive Creative Director

Team: In-house multidisciplinary team of writers, designers, illustrators, film makers, animators, and producers.

Scope: Art direction, imagery, tone of voice, website, templates, motion, sound, brand guidelines

Brand positioning: Zendesk unlocks the power of customer interactions for your business.

Goals:

1. Shift perception of Zendesk from SMB focused to an enterprise-ready solution.

2. Develop a distinct look, feel, and voice that positions Zendesk as a thought leader.

3. Prepare the brand for a bigger market presence and an increase in engagement.

4. Convey maturity, sophistication, quality, relevance.

5. Create a scalable and accessible design system.

Concept: The Gold Standard
Your customers don’t have to expect the worst. Zendesk is for companies who want to take their customer service to the next level, deliver quality at speed, and acquire forever customers. When you have great software, your company is easy to work with. Join Zendesk and be one of the best.

Personality:

• Distilled
  We strive to create experiences that are straightforward and meaningful, with sophisticated, refined design.

• Confident
  We trust our vision for what's ahead because we define it. We have a strong point of view, and it's well-informed, and we only use it for good.

• Generous
  We want people to feel comfortable in our world, so we go the extra mile. Service is our strength, and that's how we bring people together.

• Fresh
  We have a punk rock spirit. We give ourselves the freedom to cultivate new ideas. We refine for relevancy and elevate for presence.