There I was, around a table filled with high level CEO’s, when one of them announced to me proudly, “so I stole your look.” I shrugged uncomfortably while my brain tried to process what I’d just heard. Was he joking or was he serious? And what exactly did he mean by ‘stole’? Then it hit me. If imitation really is the sincerest form of flattery, Onyx is doing our job. We are, after all, in the business of inspiring others to pick up their game and move forward with boldness.
What my friend was trying to tell me was that his company was evolving and because he so loved a design we had created at Onyx, he’d used something similar in his own company. It’s not the first time. It won’t be the last. In today’s hyper-competitive market, everyone is looking for inspiration and the smart ones understand that you are either moving forward, or you are dying. The very nature of today’s technology allows anything to be shared amongst the masses in an instant. And shouldn’t we be flattered when our work is inspiring?
In truth, businesses aren’t static. They grow and change just as any other living thing. Assumptions made when the brand was first established years ago may no longer hold true. As we evolve, we have to expand and reposition our brands to reflect this growth because design is inextricably linked to the public’s perception of who we are. Think of Apple. Would you even know who I am referring to if it weren’t for their sleek, modern design and remarkable ability to revolutionize the industry by constantly creating new and exciting work?
In most cases our brands speak louder than our vision and our voice. Whether it is intentional or accidental, your brand is making a statement about your company right now. So we here at Onyx are intentionally refreshing our brand to the world today. We aren’t the same company we were a few years ago, and we feel this website speaks to who we are becoming.
When we started out 5 years ago, we were a little design studio with a mission of creating beautiful things. But as our clients have evolved, Onyx has continued to change as well. We’ve quickly become a growth catalyst for companies who have the vision to set themselves apart from the competition. We tell our clients every day to push the boundaries and dig deeper and to implant creative solutions across every level of the organization: brand, culture, services, products, environments, technology, efficiencies, operations and sales.
So while we hope you enjoy our new website, more importantly we hope it inspires you to find the courage to take an important step forward in your evolution. We look forward to seeing you take this leap and hope very much to be a part of it.
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can’t do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do” - Apple Inc.
Written by: Nadia Kamal