CASE STUDY – eBee

In early 2021, Hatua Inc. approached ARK to help them develop a brand system for a new range of electric bicycles they were developing. The pilot programme would be focused on urban delivery functions, but the business had potential far beyond that in last-mile transportation for people and goods.

After a few weeks of mapping the opportunity together with the client, we knew we needed to drop Hatua in favour of something with more growth potential, inspiring and definitive of the fast-growing category. We soon landed on “eBee”, our manufacturer brand synonymous with the electric bikes – when spoken, identifies the “EB” category, yet presents uniquely as eBee.

Brand Identity

The bee was central to our idea, so we built heavily around the attributes of the tiny, powerful and ever-busy little insect.

We needed to develop an identity that works for application on bicycles across the electric range – from delivery eBikes to commuter to recreational – and accommodates future product development, use cases and customer needs.

Our design system decisions were influenced by real-world uses and applications – both on the physical bike product and in digital product UX.

eBee successfully launched its pilot programme in early 2022 – you’ve probably seen the eBikes buzzzzzzzzing around 😉

In our mission to bring eBee to life as Kenya’s premier electric bicycle brand, we knew that crafting a captivating visual and verbal identity was only a part of it. To ensure that eBee’s brand message resonated consistently and compellingly, we set out to create a comprehensive brand book.

Our brand book serves as a home of guidelines so that the eBee team can follow and uphold the distinctive charm and essence of eBee. It delves into key aspects of the brand, offering clear directions on logo usage, colour palette/pairings, typography, and imagery selection. Our brand book ensures that eBee’s brand presents cohesively across various channels, be it on the frame of a delivery eBike or in the digital realm. 
Our goal is to maintain a buzzing, enduring brand identity that speaks to the hearts of riders and businesses alike, promising a greener, more efficient way of achieving last mile delivery.