Case Study: Logo and Website Redesign for Space Computing Solutions

Xiphos’s New Union

Redesigning the look of a company with a long history and firm reputation like Xiphos, was a refreshing job.

This is the organization creating computing solutions for spacecraft, so we knew from the beginning that their unique industry and personal style were going to be the focal points of the project.

Xiphos, as a highly technical group, has a niche audience with whom they have strong bonds. They are known and well-respected by big names in the space industry. That’s why working on their new logo and website needed to be done with a surgeon’s precision.

The outdated look of the Xiphos logo and website had to be uplifted but not lose their recognizable charm and identity. 

Another challenge in this redesign project was the fact that Xiphos became partners with Epiq Solutions (an RF solutions company) and wanted to harmonize their brands with the new logo designs.

We needed to find a perfect balance between boosting Xiphos online identity and tying it to Epiq’s creating a new logo and a new website for each.

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Logo Design

Xiphos's old logo had elements of grave meaning for the team. Elements used to shape an X represented the connection between space and earth. The team didn’t want to jeopardize this picture, and we were on board. 

Flattening the logo and using solid colors, we balanced out the lettering and the icon and made it look modern. We matched it with Epiq’s shapes and typography but kept Xiphos’s original colors.

The UI problem

Xiphos’s old website was outdated in many ways. 

The content was easy to find and navigate, but it needed a better hierarchy in text and media. It seems like everything was there, but not well presented and digestible.

We were determined to make Xiphos more attractive and to improve the UI and UX of their online space.

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Art Direction

Finding our way to the desired style took two directions from the beginning. 

Since Xipohs is a technical organization, making processors and working with high-tech, one option was to give the site that techy look. Also, having the information that the Xiphos team is into retro stuff and has a unique, individualistic vibe, we wanted to incorporate some elements from the previous design eras.

On the other hand, it’s about a forward-looking company, taking a big part in the New Space Era and thinking about our future above the Earth. So, the other direction we were thinking about was the spacey look.

We decided that, first, we want to introduce people who come to the website to the Xiphos Q-cards, their main products. Straight from the hero section, this site was wrapped around the use and look of the Q-cards, which made it super specific and on point. 

Since Xiphos does not directly make spacecraft, they didn’t want to send the wrong message, so all the elements that represent space needed to be carefully added.

Among the technical content and actual product photos, we used some spacecraft and celestial shapes to show the environment in which their cards operate. So we found the middle ground, which was one of the most important stuff to do on the Xiphos website.

Colors brought a sleek appearance and made the content floaty. Lines and polaroid team photos added a bit to the retro-tech flavor specially designed for Xiphos.

UX Solutions

On the new Xiphos website, we made space for more informative content, that is easily grasped, with supporting navigation, anchor links, and filters. This gave the company the opportunity to talk more about applications and products, but not confuse and lose their visitors.

We also paid great attention to the ways in which content is linked. 

Starting with the Homepage people can see a bit of everything, which is a whole overview of Xiphos. Putting the spotlight on Q-cards and their applications, we followed up with a story about the team of experts and the cooperation with the new company - Epiq.

We arranged the rest according to importance and purpose: dividing the pages into sales-oriented and education-oriented, so that the journey would be more intuitive for those who want to dig deeper.

Conclusion

We enriched the site with new options and dosed it with elements that together represent all sides of Xiphos. The first glance will tell the users why is this organization so precious in their industry, and what an exceptional team of people they have.