Permobil finds itself

LEBANON, Tenn. - Permobil has a new, stripped-down corporate logo.

The power wheelchair manufacturer has dropped the blue oval from its logo, putting all emphasis on the tilted “e,” which stands for joy; the lowered “o,” which represents the wheel of a wheelchair; and the misplaced dot over the “i,” which conveys that no one is perfect.

“The most identifying mark in our logo is the font and that's gotten lost over the years,” said Barry Steelman, manager of marketing and corporate training. “So we're getting back to basics.”

Permobil, which last changed its logo in 2003, is making a “slow transition” to the new logo, Steelman says. The company has changed the logo on its letterhead, business cards and ad materials, for example, but it won't change the signs on its building until January 2013.

Then in October, Permobil plans to change the logo on its website as part of a complete redesign, Steelman says. The goal: to make the website more interactive and more user-friendly by improving tools like the LMN generator and the diagnosis search function.

“We want to make sure we provide the information users need so when they're on our website they stay on our website,” he said. “We don't want them to go somewhere else to get what they need.”

The “back-to-basic” changes to the logo keep the company's focus where it belongs, Steelman says: on getting people with disabilities the equipment they need so they can be independent and active.

“Our vision has always been that people with disabilities have the right to have access to all the technological features they need to live their lives on a daily basis,” he said. “We want to make sure we give them what they need.”