/ Stanford HAI
Setting the agenda for the future of AI
WHAT WE DID
Brand
Visual identity
Collateral
Digital
Environmental
Changing the conversation: More people, fewer robots
Stanford’s HAI (Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence) Institute was launched with the mission to ensure that AI evolves humanity, not diminishes or replaces it. And while AI is on track to become the most consequential technology of the 21st century—promising to increase human capabilities, transform economies, and reshape societies—it’s met with a certain level of mistrust and uncertainty.
WHAT WE DID
Brand
Visual identity
Collateral
Digital
Environmental
Humans > machines
When Stanford challenged us to create a visual system that represented HAI’s unique point of view, we sought to move beyond the way the category was visualized. Searching for the term “AI” yields dystopian imagery: robots, deep space…remember the Matrix? Our objective was to create a system that moved the conversation away from these dark perceptions to celebrate the humanity and optimism inherent in AI’s bigger promise.
An identity that unites.
HAI’s new identity weaves together several elements—like threads in a larger fabric—to highlight the collaborative nature of the Institute’s work. The new logo represents their mission of bringing many people and perspectives together to advance understanding of AI’s potential. Our color system signals the promise of inclusivity by challenging the tropes of the category and placing the human experience squarely at the center.
Now, play nice.
It was also important that the identity worked within Stanford’s broader identity system, while staying fresh and exciting. We developed a dynamic and modular logo system that flexes across a broad range of communications and functions—integrating seamlessly into Stanford’s master brand while also standing on its own.
