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Pixnut

Brand identity · Distinction in every detail

Brand identity design that holds together everywhere.

A name, a mark and a visual and verbal system people recognise, built to hold together on a screen, a billboard and a room key card.

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The ZTAYO Z symbol on deep purple
The ZTAYO symbol: a Z, a lightning bolt, a mountain peak.

The system

Rules that keep it recognisable.

An identity survives other people’s files only if the rules are clear. These are ZTAYO’s.

The ZTAYO wordmark on navy with its clear-space bars and construction grid
Clear space, measured from the letterforms.

Colour

  • Primary purple #8830FFEnergy: the symbol and key moments.
  • Deep purple #341263Grounding: backgrounds and depth.

Type

  • LexendHeadings and emphasis.
  • PoppinsBody text, with a defined hierarchy.

What the guidelines rule out

  • The ZTAYO symbol stretched horizontally
    Don't stretch it
  • The ZTAYO symbol flipped
    Don't flip it
  • The ZTAYO symbol with bevel and glow effects
    Don't add effects
  • The ZTAYO symbol on a busy purple nebula background
    Don't use busy backgrounds
  • The ZTAYO wordmark in yellow
    Don't recolour the wordmark
  • The ZTAYO wordmark inside a rectangle
    Don't box it in
  • The ZTAYO wordmark rotated
    Don't rotate it
  • The correct ZTAYO wordmark in white on deep purple
    Use the wordmark as drawn

From the ZTAYO brand guidelines Pixnut wrote and delivered.

Identities in use

  • XPet lettering mounted on a storefront wall
    XPet: the name made physical.
  • Aden Valley visiting cards in deep green and cream with the leaf wordmark
    Aden Valley: identity on cards.
  • XPet Chicken Bites packaging and a retail poster
    XPet: packaging and print.

Identity applications, shown as concepts.

Selected identities

Marks we have drawn.

See the identity archive

Who it is for

For brands that need to be recognised, not just seen.

  • New brands

    Businesses with a position and no visual or verbal identity yet, who want a name, a mark and a system built from the start.

  • Brands with a tired identity

    Established businesses whose logo, colours and type have drifted or dated, and who need an evolution that keeps the recognition they have earned.

  • Growing teams

    Companies where more people now produce brand material, and need guidelines and templates so everything still looks like one brand.

  • Brands moving into new formats

    Businesses adding packaging, signage, a website or video, where an identity designed for one medium now has to work across many.

Signs you need it

When the identity is not doing its job.

  • Your logo looks different on the website, the signage and the invoice.
  • Nobody can say which colours or typefaces are correct.
  • Suppliers ask for the logo file and you are not sure which one to send.
  • The identity was designed before the business knew what it stood for.
  • Your brand looks less established than your competitors, though the business is not.
  • You are launching something new and need it to look right from the first day.
  • The identity works on paper but breaks down on a phone screen or in a social post.

How it runs

From the idea to the system.

An identity follows the strategy, so every design choice has a reason a team can explain.

  1. Brief

    We start from the position: what the brand stands for and who it must speak to. If no strategy exists yet, we write the short version first.

  2. Name, where needed

    A name is developed from the position, checked for how it reads and sounds, and chosen with you, ready for your legal adviser to clear.

  3. Directions

    We explore the mark, colour, type and voice, then present a small number of directions with the reasoning behind each.

  4. System

    The chosen direction is built into a full system: logo versions, clear space, colour values, a type hierarchy and the rules for the voice.

  5. Guidelines and applications

    Everything is written into brand guidelines and applied to the touchpoints that matter, from print to digital, with final files and templates handed over.

What you receive

One identity, one system.

Scoped to the brand. The proposal lists what yours includes.

DeliverableWhat it is for
Naming, with the reasoningGives the brand a name that fits the position, with the thinking recorded.
Logo and symbolThe marks people recognise, drawn for every size and surface.
Colour, type and voiceThe palette, typefaces and tone that make the brand consistent.
Brand guidelinesThe rules for using all of it, so the brand survives other people’s files.
TemplatesReady-made formats your team can use without starting from scratch.
Applications, print to digitalThe identity shown on the touchpoints where people will meet it.

Proof

ZTAYO: a system, not a logo.

Read the ZTAYO case study

  • A hospitality and property-management brand, built from zero.
  • Positioning and voice came first, then the identity: the Z symbol, the wordmark, two purples, Lexend and Poppins.
  • Brand guidelines with clear space, colour, type and the rules for what not to do, as shown above.
  • The identity carried into marketing, creative direction and the website.

Pixnut brought clarity and character to the way we wanted ZTAYO to be seen. They went beyond designing a logo to create a visual identity that felt intentional, consistent and true to the brand we wanted to build.

Avinash V P, Partner, ZTAYO

In short

Brand identity design, end to end.

Brand identity design covers naming, the logo and symbol, colour, typography, the verbal identity and the guidelines that keep it all consistent, as in the ZTAYO system above. Identity work normally follows a brand strategy, so every design choice has a reason a team can explain.

Questions

Before you start.

What does a brand identity include?

The name where one is needed, the logo and symbol, colour, typography, the verbal identity and the guidelines that keep them consistent. Applications and templates can be added, and the proposal lists what yours includes.

What is the difference between a logo and a brand identity?

A logo is one mark. An identity is the whole system around it: colour, type, voice, layout and the rules for using them, so the brand looks and sounds the same wherever it appears.

Should brand strategy come before identity?

Ideally, yes. An identity expresses a position, so it is stronger when the position is decided first. If there is no written strategy, we start the identity with a short positioning brief so every design choice still has a reason.

Can you redesign our logo without changing everything?

Yes. An identity can be evolved rather than replaced, keeping what already carries recognition and fixing what is dated or inconsistent.

Can Pixnut name a new brand?

Yes. The name is developed from the positioning, checked for how it reads and sounds, and chosen with you. Legal clearance and trademark registration are a separate step, handled by your legal adviser.

What is included in brand guidelines?

The rules that let other people use the brand correctly: the logo and its clear space, colour, type, voice, what to avoid, and examples of the brand applied. The ZTAYO guidelines are one example; what a set covers is agreed in the proposal.

Who owns the identity when the project ends?

Ownership and usage rights in the final work are set by the agreement for the project, not by this page. See the Terms and Conditions.

Do you work with businesses outside India?

Yes. The studio is in Bengaluru and works with clients worldwide. Directions are presented on video calls and every decision is confirmed in writing.

Need an identity that holds together?

Tell us about the brand and where it will appear. Book a call, or start with the Brand Health Check.

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