PsiKick, the company pioneering wireless, batteryless Internet of Things (IoT) systems, today announced, in partnership with Siegel+Gale, it has changed its name to Everactive. The company also announced today it has closed a $30 million funding round. Operating without batteries, Everactive’s always-on wireless sensor networks deliver continuous cloud-based analytics at a scale not possible with battery-powered devices.
In our latest SMPL Q+A, we speak with Lea Chu, Group Director, Naming and our Design practice about the brand’s new name and visual identity.
Naming
Can you tell us about the naming process, how you selected the name Everactive?
Lea Chu: Since this was a name change assignment, we started with the original name PsiKick and assessed its pros and cons. There was both a power and mystique to “psychic” as well as a relevance to the unique insights that this technology enables. But trademark and URL hurdles meant that “Psychic” got spelled as “PsiKick,” which diluted the message and confused new customers.
We explored a wide range of names from descriptive to metaphorical. Along the way, it became clear that while the insights that the technology enables are important and a key differentiator for our client, the real unique piece of their offering is the technology itself. We needed a simple, attractive way to communicate how the technology works. Everactive captured the real magic of the tech (batteryless sensors and data insights) with language that anyone around the world can understand.
Design
What was the concept behind the visual identity?
We wanted to create something modern that would not only resonate with Everactive’s stakeholders and employees but also future generations of customers.
Everactive develops completely batteryless systems that operate entirely off low-levels of harvested energy, and the concept of being always-on inspired us. The logo we designed to be symbolic of Everactive’s “always-on” state; the waves in the wordmark connote energy, connectivity, and seamless communication. It has the feeling of transmitting power and strength but also sustainability.
The iconography system is built on the foundation of the visual identity. These icons can help communicate three key value propositions: how Everactive’s sensors measure information, how systems analyze and provide insights and, ultimately, how the brand helps deliver scalable solutions.
