What makes a cool logo for kids?
The logo on the first prototypes of our woom bikes was a dinosaur with laser eyes. And now the tiny T-Rex is making an appearance on the limited-edition models we've released to celebrate our tenth anniversary.
Anniversary Edition with dinky dino
2023 is the year we're celebrating a whole decade of magic moments. That's right – it has been ten years since our founders Christian and Marcus started up woom. In that time, hundreds of thousands of children have learned how to ride a bike on one of our woom models.
This milestone calls for a celebration! But we've not just been popping corks... We've been getting creative too.
Our designers have created an exclusive edition for our special birthday, which celebrates our roots but still has a fresh and modern look. Have you seen our woom ORIGINAL in anniversary red?
If you have, you probably noticed one fun little detail – the tiny dinosaur on the head tube.
Why is the logo a nod to the very first woom bikes? Who came up with the design? And what does it represent?
Symbol of cycling superpowers
Our founder Christian designed the dino logo back in the early days of woom.
"When a child is on their bike, they're as strong and powerful as a T-Rex shooting lasers from its eyes," explains Christian. "woom bikes give children superpowers, you see."
After all, children hop on their bikes and find they can suddenly cover much longer distances with the same amount of effort. Their horizons are expanded just like that.
"We move even more efficiently than a condor when we're on a bike," says Christian. "And that's exactly what this logo captures for me. It's a symbol of the superpowers children gain when they're out and about on their bikes."
Dynamic woom logos
What's the meaning behind the dinosaur shooting lasers out of its eyes?
Christian says: "It represents the dynamic nature of cycling and the dynamic nature of woom. Everything we do at woom is focused on development and innovation because we're trying to get as many children as possible excited about cycling."
This dynamic nature is reflected in the woom lettering too.
"It's no coincidence that the four letters in our company name remind you of the corners on a circular cycle loop. The curved letters are designed to make you think of the movements associated with cycling."
What do kids think is the coolest thing ever?
The idea for the laser dino logo came from asking one simple question. Christian asked it out loud in the shared office where he was designing the first prototypes in the early days of woom.
He was struggling to come up with the right logo one day and just wasn't happy with any of his ideas and designs. So he decided to get some external input by asking:
"What do you think kids would say is the coolest thing ever?"
An American in the room said "a dinosaur with laser eyes" without a moment's hesitation.
Christian loved the idea and so did everyone else in the office. He wasted no time and drew the first draft of a T-Rex shooting lasers out of its eyes there and then.
Working on sketch after sketch, he perfected the image until he was happy with it. He used a computer to finish off the logo.
From sketch to finish – this is how the dino with laser eyes was born.
A nod to the first-ever prototypes
Despite all the layers of meaning behind it, the dinosaur shooting lasers out of its eyes only ended up appearing on the first prototypes.
"It didn't take us long to realize that the woom lettering was the perfect visual anchor for our brand. So we decided to lose the dinosaur altogether," explains Christian.
"The simpler a logo is, the more likely it is to be recognized. We also wanted our woom bikes to be modern design classics. And less is definitely more when it comes to the classics."
A few of the original prototypes were sold. "If you have one of the first woom bikes with a dino logo, you should count yourself lucky. Those are genuine collector's items now – and they're not just sought after by children."
So what does it mean to Christian to see a T-Rex on the head tube of a woom bike again – ten years after starting up the company?
"I can't stop myself from smiling when I see that logo. I'm absolutely delighted that we can go all the way back to the beginning as we celebrate ten years in business."
