Branding: More Than Just a Logo
In a world where technology is evolving faster than ever, visual communication must keep pace—not just in form, but in meaning. Gone are the days when gradients were dismissed as mere cover-ups for bad design or when RGB colors were treated with suspicion because of print limitations. Today, with innovations like HP Indigo’s affordable fluorescent runs and an increasing emphasis on digital-first experiences, the rules have changed. It’s no longer just about what looks good; it’s about why it matters—and how well it’s executed.
Nowhere is this shift more vividly captured than in Pentagram’s latest work for TwelveLabs, a groundbreaking AI company with roots in Seoul and San Francisco. TwelveLabs specializes in teaching machines not just to see video, but to understand it—the rhythm of a scene, its continuity, its full narrative depth. In short, they are building an AI capable of comprehending the moving image in ways that mirror human perception.
When TwelveLabs found itself expanding—broadening its product suite, growing research teams, and stretching into global markets—it needed a new visual identity that could articulate not only the function of its technology, but also its future impact. Pentagram’s Jody Hudson-Powell and Luke Powell answered this call with a visual system rooted in color, sequence, rhythm, and a deeply conceptual idea they call “video as volume.”
At the center of this identity lies a logo that is deceptively simple yet endlessly dynamic. In motion, it becomes something extraordinary: packets of information assembling and disassembling in a dance that evokes both cutting-edge tech and timeless motion studies, like Eadweard Muybridge’s iconic galloping horse from 1878. This isn’t just a nod to history; it’s a metaphor for progress, for evolution, for human experience reframed through a new, intelligent lens.
As Pentagram eloquently puts it, the logo is “a marker of movement and intelligence, not just speed.” It doesn’t merely suggest rapid technological advance; it embodies the intelligence that underpins it.
Expanding from the logo, the visual language of TwelveLabs employs three-dimensional data blocks that distort video footage in compelling ways. These distortions simulate a “machine’s eye view”—an uncanny, slightly alien perspective that visualizes how an AI might “read” the world. It’s a bold, ownable concept that transforms otherwise ordinary footage into a signature brand asset.
Even in static forms—across posters, digital assets, and merchandise—these data flows move like genetic sequences, telling complete stories with a clarity that feels more scientific than artistic. Typography is clean and deliberate; layouts breathe with generous white space, allowing strategic bursts of bright color to punctuate and energize the compositions. There’s a restrained sophistication here, similar in spirit to Pentagram’s previous work for brands like Cohere.
And then there are the gradients.
Far from being ornamental, gradients in the TwelveLabs system are functional storytelling tools. They guide the eye, evoke emotion, and represent the scanning, flowing comprehension that lies at the heart of TwelveLabs’ technology. In both print and motion, the gradients pulse with subtle energy, offering an experience that is as intuitive as it is beautiful.
Motion itself is treated with equal seriousness. Every transition, every animation serves a purpose. There’s no fluff, no endless looping for the sake of dynamism alone. Instead, motion reveals structure, supports understanding, and flows naturally from one interaction to the next. In a digital ecosystem saturated with animation, the real distinction now comes from intentionality—and Pentagram’s work is a masterclass in purposeful design.
What’s remarkable about the TwelveLabs identity is how deeply considered it is at every level. This is not just a visually stunning brand; it’s one that feels alive, thoughtful, and aligned with the very nature of the technology it represents. The data block chains even hint at deeper symbolism, evoking the image of a snake, or perhaps even an ouroboros—a timeless emblem of renewal and infinite evolution.
In sum, Pentagram’s work for TwelveLabs is not just another slick tech branding exercise. It’s a profound meditation on how we visualize intelligence, motion, and understanding in a new digital age. It captures the essence of a company poised to change how machines interact with the moving image—and, by extension, how we ourselves see the world.
