CI&T is a company with nearly three decades of experience in tech transformation, covering areas like digital innovation and AI. Last year, we realized that our brand, including our logo and overall image, didn’t fully represent the scale of our global presence or our advancements in technology, especially in AI. As a company supporting many global clients and helping them tackle digital and AI challenges, we wanted our brand to reflect that strength and relevance.

The rebranding journey started with internal reflections and listening to feedback from our team, which has grown to about 7,000 people worldwide. We conducted internal research to understand what the brand meant to our people, why it might not feel representative, and what was missing.

We also explored our brand archetype - partnering with the UK-based studio MAKE, we conducted initial brand studies, but halfway through last year, we realized it wasn’t the right moment to rush a full rebrand. We decided to slow down, taking time to refine and perfect each element of the brand so it would truly reflect our evolving identity.

By early this year, with our CI&T Flow platform progressing and client relationships thriving, we felt ready to launch the new brand. We spent months aligning on every detail, from visuals to our new tagline, ensuring it matched our values and future direction.

The idea for using geometric shapes came from MAKE studio, and it connects directly to our name. CI&T stands for "collaborate, innovate, and transform"—values we haven’t emphasized much over the past decade but felt were important to bring back.

MAKE suggested we link these principles with simple geometric shapes to create a sense of movement and endless possibilities, reflecting our identity as a dynamic, ever-evolving company.

At CI&T, we pride ourselves on constant change and adaptation, never getting stuck with one method or technology. The shapes symbolize that flexibility and growth, forming infinite combinations that align with how our teams operate. Each unit within CI&T has autonomy, allowing them to interpret and use these shapes in various ways, representing the diversity and adaptability that defines us.

Our new color palette offers more variety than before. Previously, we used only two or three colors; now, we’ve expanded to more than seven, giving us a wider range of possibilities to reflect our brand’s versatility.

Alongside color, we introduced other brand elements, like the ampersand symbol, which we’ve highlighted more prominently. While ampersands can sometimes clutter a brand, we chose to embrace it as a unique part of our identity.

This broader palette, along with flexible shapes and visuals, allows for more diverse expressions that match the different moments, challenges, and initiatives of our people. By integrating these colors and symbols, we created a brand that feels open and adaptable, giving our teams creative freedom to represent CI&T in ways that resonate with them.

Yone focused on an archetype study that provided insights we combined with our internal research within our GGP (Global Growth Partners) department, which has over 50 members worldwide supporting CI&T’s growth, marketing, branding, and campaigns.

The work with MAKE, on the other hand, was much more hands-on. While we have an internal team to lead our marketing, we wanted an external perspective from MAKE, allowing them to drive the creative process rather than just following our direction. Kenzo and Mariona, two of MAKE’s founders, took the lead, guiding us through the rebranding journey.

Interestingly, the timing ended up working in our favor. Though we initially felt frustrated delaying the launch to this year, it gave us a chance to fully collaborate with MAKE and refine the brand. Having that extra time allowed both teams to adjust, improve, and polish every detail, transforming what started as a challenge into a major advantage.

I made the initial decision to hold off on the rebrand launch because the timing didn’t feel right. At the start of this year, when I felt it was finally the right time, I shared the plan with our founder and CEO, Cesar. I then presented our nearly-complete concept to both Cesar and Bruno, as well as our group of 10 partners, which includes myself.

To capture the essence of the rebrand, I created a short video summarizing the vision and direction. I wanted everyone to feel the energy of the brand’s new direction before analyzing it. The video emphasized our core values—collaborate, innovate, transform—along with the simplified visuals and flexible logo design.

This approach allowed them to experience the rebrand on an emotional level first, and then I followed up with explanations about each choice.

For years, we faced the challenge of explaining exactly what CI&T does, as our core is tech transformation, yet our work continuously evolves with each new wave of innovation. We quickly learn, adapt, and develop methodologies to help clients move fast and take advantage of new technology cycles, like digital, mobile, and now AI.

The tagline "Navigate Change" simplifies this complex role. It represents how we help clients navigate various challenges, whether it’s growth, performance, cost, or customer experience. The phrase allows us to convey our purpose in a flexible way, adapting to each client’s specific needs and goals.
When we introduced "Navigate Change" to our team, it instantly resonated. Many CI&Ters saw new ways to use it in their work, which showed us it was the right choice—it captures our mission to guide clients through their unique challenges toward meaningful outcomes.

Early on, we hit a point where things didn’t seem to be going in the right direction. To resolve this, we decided to be completely open with the MAKE team, sharing our concerns honestly.

Instead of listing reasons why we didn’t like certain ideas, we expressed our feelings about the direction, saying, “something doesn’t feel right.” This open, honest conversation turned things around and helped MAKE understand our vision more clearly.

Another challenge came when it was time to involve the broader team, from facilities staff to business units, and share how the new brand would impact them. To gain support, we showed each group the specific benefits of the rebrand for their roles, like the flexibility and autonomy the new branding offers.

We prioritized empathy, ensuring everyone felt that this rebrand was for them, not just the branding or marketing teams. This approach made people feel valued and connected to the process, even those who had extra work to do, like adapting the brand in physical spaces. In the end, everyone understood our intent and felt positive about the change.

Since the pandemic, CI&T has rapidly evolved, from multiple acquisitions to going public and embracing the global focus required in today’s tech landscape. This shift called for a rebrand to reflect our expanded, more global presence, especially with our new CI&T Flow AI platform.

The previous brand, while meaningful and impactful during its time, was becoming outdated—it represented a more conservative, Brazil-centered identity, fitting for when we were smaller and private.

With the recent changes, including more diverse teams from around the world, we needed a brand that better aligned with our current position as a global, AI-forward, and publicly traded company.

Our new brand image now reflects this broader, forward-looking identity and resonates with our global culture, making it clear that we are no longer just a local player but an influential multinational in the tech industry. This shift is one our teams recognize as necessary, which has led to strong support and excitement for the change.

One of the most rewarding moments for me was hearing from a highly respected branding professional who told me, ‘I’m building my new company inspired by everything you’ve done.’ That external validation—especially from someone at the top of their field—was powerful. It showed we’d succeeded not by creating the ‘best’ identity, but by crafting something truly for our people.

Branding, when done for others, has a profound impact, and seeing our CI&T team feel represented, excited, and even eager to share it with their families, reminded me that we achieved what we set out to do.