Winning (also) in the unknown

The defense-tech sector, like any other, rapidly adopts new technologies and rapidly evolves its capabilities. While these innovations enhance defense and combat capabilities, they also generate a vast range of new threats, some of which are impossible to anticipate in advance. In air and land domains, there is relatively more operational activity, enabling forces to cope more effectively (comparatively) with technological acceleration and unfamiliar threats. Naval forces, on the other hand, operate in an environment inherently defined by much higher levels of uncertainty and the unknown.

Skana Robotics entered the defense-tech world with a mission to redefine naval capabilities and possibilities through an innovative approach designed specifically to confront the unknown. Skana’s product ecosystem, comprised of a fleet of software-driven autonomous vehicles, significantly amplifies intelligence, defense, and combat capabilities for naval forces, even in the face of new and unpredictable threats.

Through a joint strategic process with the Skana team, we shaped the core brand idea and narrative, rooted in the company’s unique worldview and product promise: Winning (also) in the unknown. Alongside this story, we chose flexibility and versatility as leading brand values.

The creative concept we developed for Skana expresses the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The concept includes, among other elements, a brand symbol derived from the letter “A” (signifying excellence), which, through reduction and manipulation, evolved into a form that echoes the shape of an orca whale while also referencing the brand’s innovative ecosystem. The triangular “tail” became a key design tool, enabling the brand to visually express its forward-thinking approach, one grounded in a diverse, flexible fleet capable of addressing emerging threats. The unique typography we selected reinforces the theme of navigating the unknown, while the unconventional orange color, rarely used in defense, strengthens the brand’s distinctive message within its field.

Team
strategy: Hanni Shapira, hila ozer
Design: Hagai Poper, gal reisch, theppl.