A Visual Brand Language (VBL) helps to communicate a company’s core values and identity through product design with an emphasis on providing a memorable experience to elevate the brand recognition. We developed a VBL for Zebra that delivers a consistent look and feel across each of Zebra’s product divisions. The guidelines allow the company to reduce development cost and manufacturing time while also creating a more positive emotional engagement with their customers by delivering a consistent brand message – one that is distinct and enables Zebra to maintain their leadership position in the market.

Understanding User Needs

Extensive design research was conducted to understand Zebra’s design heritage, the breadth of the product portfolio, user needs, and key stakeholder needs for a global market. Upon completion of our research and analysis, it was clear that Zebra needed a consistent look and feel that portrays the company culture and brand promise. The new series of printers, the ZT200™, is the culmination of user insights and implications from Zebra’s customer applications and understanding of their printing needs, evolving business requirements, and operational challenges.

Color and Geometry Cues

As the first product to be introduced using Zebra’s new Global Product Design Language, the ZT200™ printers use color and geometry cues to help users quickly identify key controls for day-to-day interaction and maintenance. Additional brand strategies focused on the user interface and developing consistent iconography across all Zebra products. The new accent color, “robust gold”, is used to provide visual communication and help users identify critical touch points both on the exterior and interior of the machine (such as the media guide or ribbon spindle) and to encourage intuitive operation. The ZT200™ series represent the industrial color scheme with the use of gray, black, and gold that was determined and validated by our team through user research and testing.

High Quality Performance and Intuitive Design

The compact footprint and streamlined design fits easily in confined areas where space is at a premium in a user’s working environment. The compelling industrial design with intuitive interface provides a distinguished look that is designed to be incorporated in a broad range of products and further establish consistency within Zebra’s product line and provide a universal design language.