Skyscanner, the Edinburgh-based travel search company, has used a series of distinct logo marks since its launch in 2003. The current identity, introduced in September 2019, is officially described by the company as its “sunrise logo,” a registered trademark of Skyscanner Limited in the United Kingdom and other jurisdictions.[1]
Design and History
Skyscanner’s first major branding overhaul came in February 2012, when the company introduced a new look and logo, its first branding switch since launching 11 years earlier. The redesign replaced the original three-pronged symbol with a cloud design.[2] The new identity was created with the Scottish studio Stand.[3]
In September 2019, Skyscanner unveiled a global brand refresh with a new logo and identity, developed by London studio Koto in collaboration with roughly 50 members of the Skyscanner design team.[4] The previous logo, which showed scan lines through a cloud, was deemed “too literal and prescriptive” and no longer communicated the full scope of the company’s services, which had expanded beyond flight comparison.[4] Koto’s founder and executive creative director James Greenfield described the rebrand as a shift from a “function-led to an emotion-led” brand.[4]
Following the 2019 refresh, Skyscanner’s in-house Brand Design team later simplified the identity system, finding the Koto-era brand “complex and self-indulgent” and lacking instant brand recognition. Drawing inspiration from Swiss design principles, the team built a new brand world centered on simplicity, which was nominated for a Scottish Design Award in 2025.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
The 2019 logo was designed to symbolise travel and the feelings it invokes, incorporating four major elements: optimism, sustainability, ideas and places to discover.[6] The simple icon depicts the curve of the earth with a subtle indent signifying a place pinned on a map, with sunbeams emerging over the horizon.[4] The radiating beams represent the optimism of the sun and the innovation Skyscanner has pioneered in the travel sector, while the semi-circle embodies the earth and the downward arrow underneath illustrates a place pinned on a map.[6]
Typography and Design
The 2019 brand refresh introduced a new typography named “Relative,” described as clear and straightforward, mirroring Skyscanner’s approach to helping travellers.[6] The typeface, Relative by Colophon, was chosen because it “reflects the rounded nature of the beams in the symbol” and is “friendly and informative, and proportionally weighted,” according to Koto senior designer Ben Dolphin. Colophon also developed a new custom black weight for Skyscanner to use in priority locations.[4]
The brand’s core colour remained blue, which Koto’s James Greenfield explained was essential since “when sky is in the name, anything else maybe just feels wrong,” and because it served as the main link with the old brand.[4] The palette was built around a bold lead colour, Sky Blue, representing clarity and optimism, with a supporting palette of warm, natural colours representing the rich hues found in destinations around the world.[6]
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