Xero | Logo Animation

Xero Logo Animation

When Xero underwent its global brand refresh, I was responsible for defining how the new logo and identity look in motion.
I spearheaded the initial ideation phase, exploring diverse animation styles to find a movement that felt authentically "Xero."
Navigating high-level stakeholder feedback, I drove the project to final sign-off from executive leadership, including the CEO.
Featured below is a curated, private look at the process: the core logo animation, and the behind-the-scenes sketches that built the system.

Head of Creative - Sha Eladati
Design Team — Pete Montgomery, Daniel Alliott & Laura Fuldseth
Animation — Domenic Iaria
Produced at — Xero

To develop Xero’s new sonic mnemonic, we collaborated with the sound design studio Antfood. To bridge the gap between audio and animation, I broke down their sonic variations into distinct narrative beats: Transformation, Resolve, and “With an X.” Whether the brand name was sung aloud or represented through a melodic hook, I mapped out a shared rhythmic cadence (build, resolve, pause, uplift) across our storyboards. Treating the sound like a story allowed me to lock down a flexible timing framework that could adapt seamlessly to every visual layout.

Sound Design

To ground the logo's movement in Xero's brand strategy, I used our core archetypes; the Magician and the Lover, as the foundation for these motion concepts. I mapped out six distinct narrative routes to explore how these traits could physically manifest on screen.
The "Magician" routes focus on transforming complexity into clarity through fluid, swirling energy, while the "Lover" routes lean into smooth, supportive, and connected lines that flow with ease. This exercise allowed us to test a wide spectrum of motion behaviors before locking down the final execution.

Storyboard - Round 01

Moving into the animatics phase allowed us to stress-test the timing and gather critical feedback. While my initial explorations leaned into a long, dramatic build-up, the executive team wanted the Xero brand to be the focal point right from the first frame.
To solve this, I jumped back into design for a second, expanded round of storyboards. We mapped out new techniques, like a layered stroke-reveal designed to show the iconic "X" instantly, while using this phase to find the perfect balance between a playful, expressive tone and a strong, agile corporate identity.