These last few months have all but rendered traffic apps useless. But, as more states lift lockdown measures and people return to the road, navigation platforms can expect a windfall. In preparation, Waze has refreshed its brand, introducing a new logo and user avatars.
“We want everyone who uses Waze to feel like they’re part of this community, not just a ‘user,'” Jake Shaw, head of creative at Waze, wrote in a blog announcement. “We wanted to bring the joy we bring to people on the road into the building blocks of the brand.”
With an ear to the Waze community, the company invested in new ways for users to communicate within the app, including new Moods. The emoji-like icons, which previously acted as a sort of personification of the driver, now make it easy to reflect how you feel on the road. Frustrated by congestion? Rocking out to your favorite jams? Rushing to the office? Show the world with a Mood for every moment.
“We had a lot of fun exploring the range of emotions people feel out there. A dozen drivers could all feel different in the exact same situation,” Shaw explained. “So we set about capturing as many of those feelings as possible. This was critical to us, because the Moods act as a visual reminder of all of us out there, working together.” This first set of 30 Moods is “just the beginning,” according to the blog, which tipped better representation of “all different types of people in all different moments on their journey.”
Fresh characters aren’t the only thing lending color to Waze: The firm’s revitalization includes a bright new palette. “We’re a little bit ‘un-tech’ in our approach,” according to Shaw. “We’re chasing something that’s friendly, organic, and joyful. A lot of brands may be scared of so much color. We’re not.” The block-by-block badge represents what Waze calls “in-between” spaces of a map, where roads aren’t.
