What’s in a Logo?

A logo can be the least important part of an organisation. It can also hold the entire story of your organisation distilled into one image. If you’re fortunate, you arrive at one that represents who you are and the work you do.

As we entered this season of transition — celebrating 10 years and launching our new positioning — we wanted not a fresh start but a continuation and an expansion. This, after all, is part of our Secret Sauce, what makes our approach work: We build on the existing. It is the same for our logo. We wanted to use elements from the original, while opening towards who we are now and the work that defines us today.

Our original logo was designed in early 2016 by a Norwegian graphic designer, based on our initial pitch in 2016: WeRobotics is about putting autonomous systems, such as drones, into the hands of local experts, so that they can lead drones for social good work in their geographies. The key words we used were: Synergy, Technology, Connections, Collaboration, Unity, Framing. We chose the colour red as it represented both technology and the urgent need for action. This red was our only visual identity colour until 2023, when, with the launch of our new website, we introduced purple as our secondary colour.

Having worked with Minds On Design Lab (MOD-Lab) — a leading web design agency specializing in working with non-profit organizations — as our trusted partner for both the WeRobotics and Flying Labs Network websites, we chose to work with them again for our logo iteration. As our partnership has grown over the past three years, we felt confident that their highly talented design team knows us well enough to understand where we come from and where we want to go.

In the video below, MOD-Lab’s Michelle Perreault and Valerie Diaz de Arce tell the story of how this new logo came to be, and how it reflects this moment for us. 

Symbols matter. They are a signal to the rest of the world, but perhaps more importantly, they are also a dream and an intention spoken — about who we are, what we aspire to, what guides our steps. And that is a powerful thing indeed.

To the team at MOD-Lab, we offer a special thank you for all the ways in which their support and expertise have helped us tell our story over the past few years.