OpenDNS is a San Francisco-based company founded in 2006 that provides Domain Name System (DNS) resolution services with integrated security features such as phishing protection and content filtering. The company was acquired by Cisco in 2015, and its enterprise security products were later rebranded as Cisco Umbrella, while consumer products retained the OpenDNS name. [1]
Design and History
By 2013, OpenDNS had grown to operate what it described as the world’s largest security network, serving more than 50 million people. Seeking to reposition itself from a consumer-focused service to an enterprise security provider, the company wanted to replace what it considered a somewhat generic visual identity with something more distinctive. [2]
OpenDNS engaged the brand consultancy Applied Storytelling to develop a new personality and visual system. The agency mined the company’s culture and communications to arrive at a set of attributes aligned around an archetype termed the “Rogue Hero.” Building on this foundation, Applied Storytelling developed a new visual system, voice guidelines, and a library of photos and illustrations to represent the brand. [2]
The rebranding effort supported OpenDNS’s enterprise growth strategy. Within 18 months of the brand-building work, Cisco acquired OpenDNS for $635 million in cash, plus retention-based incentives. Cisco leveraged key elements of the OpenDNS brand to shape its larger security presence. [2]
Following the acquisition, OpenDNS’s enterprise security products were rebranded as Cisco Umbrella in 2016. The OpenDNS name continued to be used for consumer home protection products. [3] [1]
Meaning and Symbolism
Applied Storytelling’s work for OpenDNS centered on the “Rogue Hero” archetype, which was derived from the company’s culture and communications to convey a distinctive mindset and approach in the cybersecurity market. The visual system was designed to support the company’s repositioning from a consumer service to an enterprise-focused security provider. [2]
The OpenDNS name itself reflects the company’s founding mission to provide a safer, faster, and better internet browsing experience for all users, offering DNS resolution as an alternative to ISP-provided services. [1]
Typography and Design
Documented details about the specific typography, color specifications, or construction of the OpenDNS logo are limited in available sources. The visual identity work was conducted by Applied Storytelling, which developed the visual system as part of a broader brand repositioning effort completed around 2013. [2]
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