Matter
Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and now… Matter
A complex realm of competing tech ecosystems
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the ways we live, work, and play. However, the proliferation of competing technology ecosystems has caused confusion for consumers, and complications for developers. When you buy a device, how will you know it works with your other products?
Established in 2002, the Zigbee Alliance was formed to create, maintain and deliver open global standards for the IoT. With the Alliance having outgrown its name and direct 1:1 connection to its original protocol, Interbrand’s challenge was to create a new brand that could represent the Alliance as the foundation and future of the IoT and as an organization with far greater reach and responsibility, enabling collaboration and innovation across the industry.
Our challenge was to help the Connectivity Standards Alliance define the underlying technology and create a brand that could withstand the test of time. The goal was to create a name, symbol and visual expression to signal that the new foundation of IoT connectivity has arrived.
This new connectivity standard promises to deliver new levels of simplicity, reliability and interoperability for the IoT, previously brought to audio and internet connectivity through other Interbrand named standards like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Seamless integration across the smart device experience
Traditional competitors Apple, Amazon, Google, SmartThings, Schneider Electric and NXP Semiconductors came together with the Connectivity Standards Alliance for the betterment of the consumer experience.
We researched the needs of consumer and commercial groups, which included developers, installer and vendors to understand which attributes users were looking for in a new connectivity standard.
Interbrand developed the name “Matter” to speak to the underlying, foundational nature of the technology itself, while touching on the attributes our research found that users were looking for. Matter is the common building block behind all things. Always present, always reliable.
The final logo is the new symbol of connectivity. Its triangular form with lower weighting makes the mark feel stable and secure, two design tenets of the technology itself. The three curved forms coming together tell the story of convergence—a hallmark of this industry-unifying standard. Matter has always been what connects us. Now, it’s connecting the smart world.
Ushering in an era of simplicity, reliability and connectivity for the smart world
Matter’s November 2022 release was met with global commendations from the tech industry as a whole. It was selected as an honoree for the 2022 CES Innovation Award, a testament to the revolutionary connectivity brought about by Matter.
Today, Matter has made Apple, Google, Samsung, Amazon, and other tech company devices compatible, creating a newly connected experience for smart device consumers. As of April 2023, over 750 devices have been Matter certified. This connectivity standard delivers new levels of interoperability for the IoT – the kind of clarity that Bluetooth and Wi-Fi brought to audio and internet connectivity.
Media Response
Awards
2021 Transform Awards North America
-Use of Visual Property
-Strategic or Creative Development of a New Brand
-Naming Strategy
2021 Red Dot Awards
-Corporate Design
-Logo Design