Databox is a business intelligence and analytics platform headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, that helps teams connect, visualize, and report on performance data from 130+ integrations.[1] The company’s visual identity centers on a hexagon-shaped symbol with three bars, a design introduced in May 2019 as part of a deliberate brand evolution.
Design and History
In May 2019, Databox unveiled a new logo, documented in a company blog post by Gasper Vidovic, then VP of Product.[2] The redesign was framed as “an evolution of the company and brand, not a revolution.”[2]
According to the company, the previous logo was liked for its simplicity but its symbol “didn’t have any special meaning.”[2] Over time, the company had used many color variations inconsistently, and the logo began to feel “flat, blunt, and not to be toyed with.”[2]
The redesign process focused on two goals: adding “a subtle hint at the essence of the business” while keeping simplicity.[2] The team explored several concepts before settling on a hexagon shape with rounded corners and gradients that give the symbol “a 3-dimensional look and feel of a box.”[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
The current Databox symbol combines two metaphors: data and box.[2] The hexagon shape with rounded corners and gradients visually suggests a box in three dimensions, while three bars on the hexagon serve as “a well-known metaphor for a chart and the common graphical representation of data.”[2]
As part of the redesign, Databox redefined its colors with the addition of purple, a deliberate move “to move us a little bit away from the cliche blue scheme.”[2] The company experimented extensively with gradients, noting that “gradients are always delicate when your goal is to craft a simple and minimalistic logo.”[2]
Typography and Design
Databox retained its existing wordmark typeface for the 2019 redesign, described as “a modified version of Neo Sans Pro.”[2]
Because the gradient treatment can compromise visibility at small sizes, the company also developed an additional single-color version of the symbol for use in smaller elements such as its favicon.[2]
The designer or agency responsible for the 2019 Databox logo redesign has not been publicly disclosed in the company’s own documentation.
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