Pentagram crafts a smart, elegant identity for AI video pioneer TwelveLabs

Pentagram’s latest project introduces a striking new identity for TwelveLabs, an AI company that is reshaping how machines understand video. The rebrand signifies a conceptual shift, presenting video not as a linear sequence of frames but as a volume.

For TwelveLabs, this reframing is more than a technological advancement; it is setting them apart in the rapidly evolving AI field. Jody Hudson-Powell and the Pentagram team used this shift as the foundation for their creative direction.

Jody explains, “The idea of ‘video as volume’ became our way of visualizing their technology. Traditionally, AI views video as separate frames – individual moments, isolated. However, TwelveLabs comprehends everything at once, as an interconnected whole. This change in perspective guided all our design choices.”

Transforming such an abstract and dynamic concept into a tangible brand identity was a considerable challenge. In an industry often filled with complex data visualizations and corporate clichés, Pentagram’s work for TwelveLabs stands out for its clarity and simplicity. Described by the team as “smart, elegant, alive,” the identity not only enhances the product’s appearance but also helps explain it.

Jody mentions, “We spent time refining the diagrams to say just enough – clear for everyone but authentic to those who really know the tech. When engineers see their work clearly represented, and others intuitively understand it, you’ve found some interesting ground.”

The identity strikes a balance between the technical and the emotional, feeling structured yet warm. Technology can feel distant and cold, but it is centered around human experiences. The system created by Pentagram provides clarity and structure, allowing human elements to emerge.

Motion plays a crucial role in bringing the brand to life, echoing the continuous, connected reasoning at the core of TwelveLabs’ platform. The horse symbol in the new identity is a nod to Eadweard Muybridge’s photographic studies of motion and TwelveLabs’ AI models named after horses.

The identity system caters to TwelveLabs’ diverse audience, ensuring accessibility without oversimplification. It is clear, direct, and welcoming for everyone, regardless of their expertise. The outcome embodies the qualities that make TwelveLabs’ approach revolutionary: interconnected, intelligent, and distinctly human.