Xylem Inc. is a global water technology company that was created in 2011 when ITT Corporation spun off its water-related businesses into a standalone corporation. The company’s visual identity was introduced alongside the new corporate name, which was announced in July 2011 and launched when Xylem began operations on October 31, 2011. The name Xylem, derived from classical Greek, refers to the tissue that transports water in plants, a reference ITT used to explain the new company’s focus on the full water cycle, from collection and distribution to the return of water to the environment. [1] [2]
Design and History
Xylem’s logo is a lowercase wordmark in blue, set in a single line of lettering. The identity was described in company materials as an essential expression of the new brand, with the color blue chosen because it is the color most closely associated with water. The letterforms were designed to evoke the flow of water and the precision of the company’s engineering focus, and the all-lowercase, modern design was intended to convey a friendly, inviting feeling. [3]
The wordmark was unveiled as part of the company’s launch. ITT announced in July 2011 that the future water company would be named Xylem and that new logos would be unveiled at a later date. [1] The new identity was previewed at the WEFTEC water industry conference in October 2011, just before the spinoff was completed on October 31 of that year. [4]
At launch, Xylem continued to operate well-known product brands such as Bell and Gossett, Flojet, Flygt, Godwin, Goulds Water Technologies, WTW and YSI under the new corporate identity. [5] The company’s tagline, “Let’s Solve Water,” was introduced alongside the logo as a subtitle expressing the company’s mission. [3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Xylem logo’s blue color was selected for its direct association with water, the company’s core business. The lowercase letterforms were designed to suggest the flow of water while also communicating the precision of the company’s engineering and research. Company materials described the modern, lowercase design as creating a friendly and welcoming impression that builds interest, with all elements combining to demonstrate the company’s ability to solve problems creatively and thoughtfully. [3]
The corporate name itself carries the primary symbolic weight: xylem is the plant tissue that transports water from roots upward, a natural reference that ITT said highlighted the engineering efficiency of the water-centric business by linking it with the best water transportation of all, that which occurs in nature. [1]
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