Meet the Bolt
The new face of Expert Trades
OUT WITH THE BLUE,
IN WITH THE NEW
We’ve come a long way since Expert Trades was founded in 2013.
And as individuals and as a company, we’ve adapted so much that we felt our former logo, images, illustrations and colours no longer told the story of who Expert Trades is and what we stand for.
We’ve since come into our own and found our purpose: to build the community that’s fit for the trade.
So with that, we have a new logo to match: The Bolt – the new face of Expert Trades.
Our inspiration for change
Back in 2013, things were different.
We were a small company (much smaller than we are today) with lofty ambitions.
As we grew and our community grew with it, we adapted.
We listened and we learned. We understood what mattered. We connected with you on a one-to-one basis and built genuine, real-life relationships; relationships that still remain to this day.
However, as we continued to grow and the world around us started to change, we had to adapt in a way that didn’t suit us. In a way that stopped us from connecting and building those relationships that we value so much.
And that was the inspiration for change.
We’re going back to doing what we love and what we do best: Building community and connecting the industry to the trade.
Our logo & colours
Our logo, AKA ‘The Bolt’ has taken inspiration from four key areas:
Vintage Tool Packaging
Many members of the Expert Trades community would have entered the trade as an apprentice; learning from a master trade, or maybe even a parent or grandparent. These formative years are important as it’s where you and your fellow trades begin to learn your craft.
And so when looking for inspiration for the logo, we looked at older tool packaging from the time of your teacher.
We noticed that older packaging relied heavily on combining typefaces, shapes and colours to stand out and be recognisable. We’ve looked to this style, and taken inspiration from it to build a connection with you and your past by applying a striking and authentic graphic style that you can relate to.
Authentic Graphic Design
The rise of the Internet and minimalistic brands has resulted in the personalities and characters of brands being stripped from their identity and replaced by a generic geometric font. We wanted something that’s different and that would make us stand out.
Streetwear Culture
Brands such as Carhartt, Timberland and Dickies have been adopted by subcultures because of their bold, graphic style. These brands didn’t choose the culture, the culture chose the brand. People identified with their authenticity and subsequently built their community around them. We want our logo to be a symbol that resonates with trades in a way that transcends generations and cultures.
Badge of Honour
Sometimes an identity can be more than just a logo. The Stanley logo was made into a pin and given to Stanley Works employees after 10 years of service. There’s something about wearing a badge, whether it’s a logo on your cap or a sticker in your van window, that gives you a sense of pride and let’s people know you’re part of that crew. It’s about belonging, being a part of something bigger. And if you need to ask what it is. You don’t need to know.
Meet the bolt
At its core, we wanted our new logo to reflect our drive for building a community that’s fit for the trade.
Throughout the creative process, we kept several ideas in mind:
- The hexagon shape symbolises a bolt which is widely used across trades.
- The bolt is often the finishing touch to a job well done. The thing that holds everything together.
- The hexagonal shape can also be found in honeycomb which evokes the feeling of a beehive community.
- The visual style takes inspiration from an era where brands felt more down-to-earth.
The bolt is the symbol of our mission.
We put the trade first. We always have, and always will. So no more ‘that’ll do.’ There is a better way, and we’re making it happen. We’re building the community and the tools that are truly fit for the trade.
What does this rebrand mean for you?
We’re still the same team that cares deeply about our community of trades, but with our rebrand we’re going back to the basics and giving you a reason to love being a member of Expert Trades.
- We want to connect you with the tools and services that you actually need, enabling you to become a better business owner.
- We want to connect you with your fellow trades so you can build relationships and grow your businesses together
- We want to connect with you on a personal level and get to know more about you and what matters.
We’re Expert Trades. We make the lives of busy trades professionals easier, and a lot more fun. We’ve been doing it for over 8 years. We connect our community of over 27,000 trades with the tools, services, training and relationships they need to run a professional and more profitable business.
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