What is HotJar?
Founded in 2014, Hotjar is a company that is dedicated to helping people create websites their users love.
Hotjar is a tool trusted by almost a million websites in over 180 countries. The online tool allows designers, developers and merchants to monitor their website and study the behaviour and voice of their users. This is achieved by combining both analysis and feedback tools, which gives you a bigger picture of improving your website user experience and performance.
Why do we use them!
User experience (UX) focuses on having a deeper understanding of the users, what they need, what they value, and their limitations.
This is where HotJar comes into play. The ability to track the way a user moves on a page, how far a user scrolls down the page, and where they are clicking or tapping the most, and the least helps analyse the overall user experience. This allows us to get a better understanding of the user’s expectations.
Based on our analysis, we can then go away to generate user-experienced and best-practised opportunities for our clients, which enhances the performance of a user through the site and eventually increases conversion.
Why do we partner with Hotjar?
Long story short, we think Hotjar is the best solution in enhancing a users’ experience. We like to provide ongoing updates to their stores and improve the overall shopping experience with our clients. With the HotJar tool, we can monitor the way users navigate through the site and, based on this. We can make improvements if needed.
This process can lead to a better design, lower bounce rate, fewer drop-offs, more views, and enhance conversion rates.
The other main reason is that this tool provides us not with HeatMaps but it would also allow us to view video sessions of how new customers are interacting with the site. There isn't a tool that allows for this, and HotJar beats the rest. One more reason, it’s also straightforward to use, and our clients love it.
Did you know Hotjar rebranded?
With all that said, let’s talk about Hotjar’s rebrand.
This week Hotjar announced their new rebrand with a shiny new logo, a new set of colours and a playful typeface.
Hotjar believes “a brand is a person’s gut feeling about a service or organisation.” Based on this, they have broken their rebrand into three categories. These include; how they express themselves, how others experience them and how they share their brand as people.
Hotjar wants to express its brand on traditional materials and online platforms by having a brand that works well throughout all. They achieved this by looking at how their logo works on their website and merchandise such as; tote bags, t-shirts and digital banners.
They have also researched how others experience Hotjar. They understand that people who use their services see their products every day and are living the experience they provide. With that said, they wanted to create a brand that represented trust and transparency.
Icon
They began their design process for the new icon by creating a line in motion that represented the user's journey. For the second attempt, they went down the route of human connection with duplication and symmetry.
In the third sketch, they incorporated a flame. This honours their past branding and is for audiences that recognise the flame as hotjar. Combining these three elements, they created the icon that you see today and soon will see everywhere.
Typeface
Hotjars new typeface is called Ambit (by the excellent CoType™ Foundry). Their website talks about it as “inspired by early grotesques, but adapted for the 21st century.” Hotjar said that they chose the typeface because it’s legible, clear, and accessible. The typeface is also fun, playful and full of personality.
This works well with their brand and tone of voice. It’s inviting and has a personal touch to it.
Colour Palette
The research that has gone into the colour palette is quite impressive. They have based their new colour palette on flames, with a mixture of hot and cool tones. We think this is an excellent touch to their branding and works so well to convey a message of empathy and the human spirit.
Trace lines
Throughout their website, you will notice graphic elements such as the lines that they refer to as ‘trace lines’. This is to represent recordings and how people behave online. They said that “Our trace lines move in ways that show the range of human emotion; sometimes calm, rounded, and smooth; sometimes jagged and full of frustration or passion.”
Orbs
Working along with the traces line, they have also introduced ‘orbs of colour’ to represent the heatmaps. This can convey both literal heat and the figurative warmth of human connection. When used together, you get a new illustration style, which adds character and personality to the brand.
Overall the new rebrand feels like growth. We also personally love the ideology of putting the people at the heart of everything they do. From the simple traces lines to the colour palette. A lot of research by the London design agency How & How has gone into this rebrand, and it shows. Our faves are the orbs and trace lines, as this reminds us of the user journeys within the insights on the app.
