Manual
Zipline
Zipline
Zipline
As online commerce continues to soar, industry giants have iterated and innovated to be the first to offer reliable drone delivery. The promise: less traffic on the road, lower CO2 emissions, and the ability to receive items at the press of a button. However, none of them had created a realistic solution until Zipline came along. Having flown over 40 million miles, the company’s autonomous aircraft have delivered everything from blood and vaccines in Africa to grocery orders in the Southern U.S.
After years of running its delivery and logistics system in more remote locations, Zipline was ready to launch its new platform capable of delivering to urban areas. With more people directly interacting with delivery from their own homes, it was also a good time to launch a new brand. This required a considered approach. As an organization with high-flying ambition, we had to assure people that Zipline was a company with an ethos: a company that not only was disrupting global logistics, but also striving to make a local impact.
Our approach:
Raise people’s spirits.
It takes an ambitious and optimistic organization to tackle a challenge of this size. We wanted to inject this same spirit into the brand, using an uplifting and joyful tone to make people feel like the future is looking up.
Keep it grounded.
Zipline is a global company, but a local operation. As a major employer of people and partner for small business owners, we had to ensure we didn’t just paint a picture of convenience, but also one of real community impact.
Tell one story with multiple perspectives.
Zipline works with everyone from governments and nonprofits to businesses and end customers. By telling a story about urgency and timeliness, we are able to better connect with an array of audiences and industries, regardless of who Zipline is working with or what’s being delivered.
Distinguish Zips from drones.
Our goal was to demystify and dispel any notion that Zipline’s aircraft were anything like the noisy drones people have experienced before. We wanted to make sure everyone understood that “Zips” enabled silent and discreet delivery.
The three-dimensional ‘flying Z’ logo creates a cubic form—a nod to the packages Zipline deliver and the three-dimensional airspace they operate in.
The logo is also an optical illusion, allowing a view from either in the air or on the ground, depending on how you look at it.
This brand is not stationary. The use of motion graphics in the design system reflects Zipline's energy and momentum. After all, they're in the business of moving things in delightful and unexpected ways. The motion system emphasizes movement in three dimensions, utilizing multi-level planar shapes and kinetic typography.
A vibrant color palette and characterful typographic voice bring a sense of optimism, with the ability to either dial up the joyfulness and humanity for more lifestyle contexts, or dial up the technical and pragmatic aspects of the brand, depending on the need and audience.
Special thanks to the Zipline team—Micah, Ashley, Ellen, Ojai, and Julie—for the partnership.