Introducing the new Zinc

Meet the new Zinc.

After months of hard work, we’re thrilled to introduce our new branding, which includes a refreshed logo, website and app, and new domain.

This rebrand is more than just a new look—it reflects our commitment to being the best we can be for our customers, employees, and partners. 

Zinc is a company on the move. In recent years, we've made a lot of changes and we're excited about the direction we're heading. Our goal is to create a brand that is aligned with our core values so that everyone who comes into contact with us knows what we stand for.

‍

Why we rebranded

As a business, it is essential that our brand accurately represents who we are and what we stand for. We are a trustworthy, solid and reliable partner that makes your lives easier when conducting candidate background and reference checks. 

Our goal is to provide a hassle-free experience for our clients, and we are proud to have built a reputation as a company that can be relied on. 

Zinc launched in 2017 with the mission of reinventing reference checks, putting credibility back into referencing. Our vision was to build a time-saving, cost-effective platform that prioritises the candidate experience. In just a few short years, we've grown and evolved into more than just a reference-checking platform. 

Offering 10 different pre-screening background checks in over 190 countries, we’ve helped incredible teams supercharge their HR and hiring capabilities. Our range of integrated solutions turns bad into brilliant, saving weeks of team time while building brand love.

We're excited to continue changing the way reference checks are done, and to help our clients build great teams that will achieve amazing things.

And we're just getting started. We're constantly innovating and expanding our offerings to help our clients make better hiring decisions. 
‍

‍

Our vision is to enable scale-up growth through better-checking solutions.

As we’ve grown as a business, so have our company values. Whilst we're still a customer-centric company committed to improving hiring, we also strive to hold ourselves accountable for these values too:        

• Always with empathy 
• Integrity rules 
• Empowered to act
• Strive to delight
• Proudly pragmatic
• Open to all

With our new branding, we feel better equipped to communicate who we are and what we stand for to the people who matter most to us—our customers. From our updated logo to our new website, we’re confident that our new look will help us better connect with our customers and provide them with the excellent experience they deserve. 

‍

Our personality

First impressions matter, and we want every person who comes into contact with Zinc to be pleased with the experience. We want to be known as approachable, trustworthy experts in our field. Whether they are on our website, on social media, or using one of our products, we want everyone to have positive interactions with us. 

Our personality, ‘practically brilliant problem solver’, guides the tone of all brand output, reflecting our solutions-focused, hands-on approach to supporting our customers.

We are: empathetic, active and intelligent: 

• Empathy

We think of the person and what they need. We write with warmth and care. We do not speak like automated software but show the people behind the technology.

Think: Honest and warm.

• Action

We write in an active and encouraging voice.

Think: Direct and helpful.

• Intelligent

We always share the benefits. This means we aim to be solution-minded experts. We aren’t verbose, but we explain what makes something extraordinary or unique.

Think Smart and insightful.
‍

The design concept

Our design idea focuses on The Element. The Element is the hexagonal brand symbol in our logo and is interpreted in our isomorphic illustration style.

‍

‍

Our overall visual tone takes inspiration from our personality, ‘practically brilliant problem solver’. Like our tone of voice, we reinterpret the personality traits to inform the visual style.

Empathetic

• Warm tonal colour palette
• Round card corners
• Clear typographic hierarchy leading with Maison Neue

Active

• Fluoro green gradient used to show critical actions
• ‘Powered by’ brand symbol used with partner logos
• Hexagonal crops feature across the identity system

Intelligent

•  Isomorphic image style nods to scientific diagrams
• High fidelity product visuals on clay devices
• Clean, paired back layouts
  ‍

While our name has stayed the same, one of the most significant changes you’ll see is our new logo. We wanted the logo to be bold, memorable and trusted. The new Zinc logo is inspired by the zinc element with our strapline: Zinc, the essential element for hiring at scale.

The Element takes its shape from the hexagonal compound structure of Zinc and features ‘The Flash’ in the centre. 'The Flash' is composed of two Z's that grow by size, suggesting growth and scale. The Element features a fluoro green gradient to add to its sense of dynamism. It features a black keyline around the outside to ensure visibility.

‍

Our design concept encapsulates our mission to provide the best products and services to our customers, candidates, and partners and sets the stage for future growth.

Changes to other brand elements

Our new design system is made up of the following: 

• The logo
• The symbol
• The colours
• The fonts
• The illustration style
• In app design
• The URL
• Website
  ‍

One URL to another

As part of this commitment, we have decided to change our website URL from zinc.work to zincwork.com. This new URL reflects our dedication to quality, reliability and security, and we believe it will provide a better user experience for our customers. 

While much of the core functionality of our website will remain the same, we have made some critical changes to improve our overall user experience. For example, we have redesigned our homepage so that users can easily access all of the information they need in one place.
‍

What this means for our customers

During the research phase of this project, our customers were instrumental in helping us shape the new brand direction. We conducted surveys, held focus groups, and consulted with external experts to ensure that the new website met the needs of our users. 

We will continue to provide the same excellent service that our customers have come to expect from us. Our goal is to simplify your job by providing practical solutions to everyday problems.  

Alongside our website, changes to external platforms, such as our emails, social media and marketing materials, will also reflect our commitment to quality, reliability and security. These channels have been updated to provide a consistent experience for our customers as they interact with us online across many touchpoints.

Special thanks & what’s next for Zinc?

Special thanks go to our design agency, Greene and Sons, who helped us bring our new brand to life. 

We thank our customers, employees, and business partners for their insightful feedback during this process. We look forward to the next chapter in our company's history.

Our new visual identity is a foundation to communicate what Zinc does and who we are. Today’s new brand will accompany Zinc through the next phase in our exciting journey.

Thank you for being a part of our story.

Please get in touch if you have any questions or feedback about our new branding.

‍