Operating in over 1,000 cities across Europe and Africa, Yandex Go is a global leader in taxi ride-hailing. In 2020, they approached BLOND with a complex challenge: to redefine the exterior accessories used across their taxi fleets, creating a new product identity that improved look and feel, strengthened brand recognition and performed reliably at scale.
Taxi lightboxes live permanently exposed: vibrating, weather-beaten and expected to remain legible through extreme winter cold, summer heat, rain and snow. Early research showed that perceived quality and clarity mattered as much as durability. The system also needed to scale across a wide range of vehicle roof geometries, favouring adaptable mounting and consistent proportions over car-specific solutions.
Services:
Ethnographic Research
Design Strategy
Industrial Design
Product Design
Design for Manufacture (DFM)
Sourcing
Brand Identity
Visualisation
The resulting digital lightbox was engineered from the inside out to balance brand impact with long-term performance. Modular extrusions define the structure, enabling fast installation, efficient cooling and thermal stability, with quick access for maintenance at fleet scale. Its tapered, aerodynamic form improves fuel efficiency and encourages water and snow run-off, keeping the windscreen clear, while heavier internal components are positioned low to improve stability. Designed to accommodate dynamic content and route-specific messaging, the digital unit supports advertising and communications where higher dwell times and regulatory conditions allow.
The analogue lightbox adopts a more minimal approach, focused on clarity, durability and ease of use. A single screw access point enables straightforward installation and servicing while maintaining a reliable seal against extreme weather. Branding and illumination wrap the unit in a continuous 360-degree band, replacing the conventional front-and-back layout to deliver consistent visibility from all angles and instant pedestrian recognition at speed, even when partially obscured. Integrated shock-absorbing feet allow the lightbox to be mounted using a single roof rack, reducing weight, cost and fuel consumption. Together, the digital and analogue lightboxes give fleets the flexibility to combine dynamic advertising and route-specific messaging with a clear, always-on taxi signal; adapting to different regulations and vehicle roles without compromising brand consistency.
A bespoke roof rack system supports both lightbox variants, simplifying installation while maintaining a clean, integrated appearance. Branded access caps turn a typically utilitarian component into an additional touchpoint, reinforcing product integration without visual clutter.
The result is a cohesive, scalable lightbox system shaped by real-world conditions. Designed to perform reliably at fleet scale, it improves visibility, durability and total cost of ownership—delivering a clear, confident identity for Yandex Go across some of the world’s most demanding urban environments.
