As Passle's lead designer, I get asked frequently: why have you chosen an octopus to be your logo?
Well, in short, they are some damn clever creatures. But let me start at the beginning ...
When I first joined Passle over six years ago, the first big task I was faced with was to give Passle a personality or, in other words, design its brand image. Throughout the years, like most start-ups, Passle took different twists and turns when it came to its marketing messages and target audience. But the main purpose has remained constant. From the beginning, Passle has been about sharing your knowledge and expertise and creating great content - swimmingly!
After researching various symbols of intelligence and knowledge, I came across the mighty octopus. I learnt that octopuses are so clever they are sometimes called 'geniuses of the ocean'.
Experts in the ocean, experts in their field
An analogy between Passle and this clever mollusk was clear. Passle has always been about showcasing your expertise and this is why, perhaps, it is being used by so many industry experts across the world.
There are numerous examples of octopuses' incredible cunningness and intelligence. Not only can they make their own tools, but they can figure out how to use tools created by humans. Octopuses can successfully open jars - from the inside and the outside! They have been known to travel from one aquarium to another to grab a tasty snack, a sign of their sneaky but calculated hunting strategy.
What's more, an octopus's brain is quite similar to ours. It has folded lobes which are a sign of complexity. Octopuses can also choose which eye to use depending on circumstances. This feature tends to occur in species where the two halves of the brain have different specialisations, originally considered uniquely human, and linked with higher cognitive skills such as language.
Working independently
The octopus's central brain is located between its eyes, but it doesn't control all its actions. The other two-thirds of control is distributed between its eight arms, which can all act independently from its central brain. So, the arms are not just a culinary delight. Each tentacle is a brain on its own and can work autonomously to some extent, for instance when searching for their next dinner. Even when cut off!
When I was considering an octopus as our logo, I could draw a strong parallel between octopus tentacles and Passles. Each Passle can exist independently, publishing unique content about a unique subject, while supporting its 'central brain', the Client. Passle posts are like busy neurons in an octopus arm, which can be passed around and shared around the network.
Changing faces
Knows as the ocean's 'masters of disguise', octopuses can change the colour and texture of their skin to hide from their predators. What's more, they can impersonate other sea animals by changing their shape, movement and behaviour. They are also extremely malleable; they have been known to squeeze their whole body inside small spaces such as bottles or escape through small holes.
Similarly, Passles can be integrated and adopted to any website appearance and layout, mimicking its brand colours and fonts, so that it looks the part. Passles can be squeezed into any small website containers or take over the full screen when allowed the space. Needless to say, it will also adapt itself on any device.
Lastly, why is it orange?
We like orange. It's a strong colour that typically represents enthusiasm, happiness, creativity, determination, success, encouragement, and stimulation. It goes along with Passle's dynamic nature, courage to change, drive to innovate and improve all the time. We are also a rather happy and enthusiastic bunch and who never say no to fun! :-)
