A paradigm-shifting technology in the real estate space needed a visionary brand.
Crosswalk is a game-changer in the way that America builds buildings. Whether you’re an architect, an engineer, or a contractor, this agile API works across 3D architectural modeling and construction management systems to make sure that designs and plans are connected to the real world of materials and assemblies so that design meets delivery. But, as an API, it was largely invisible to the eye so it raised a number of key questions: what do we call it and how do we brand it?
In a sector littered with made-up names and acronyms, we knew that the new name had to be memorable and make sense. Like Google, it had to be employable within a real-life environment and work as both a noun and a verb. It also had to work semantically and phonetically so that it sounded right and said the right things. A tall order. Beyond the name, the brand needed to align with the most sophisticated technology tools sweeping the industry, including Building information modeling (BIM), Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR), and 3D printing.
Mobilizing our team of strategists, copywriters, and a classical languages scholar, we explored over 100 names, including words in Anglo Saxon, Latin Greek, and newly minted words. The winner was a name that perfectly described the convergence of information and data that Crosswalk represents. We then engaged our three designers to work in parallel on a logo mark for the new brand. After concepting 15 different marks, the client selected a dramatic 3D logo that evokes the history of computing and evokes a digital engine.
