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 redefining how machines comprehend video. At its heart, the rebrand marks a conceptual shift, positioning video not as a linear sequence of frames but as a volume.
For TwelveLabs, this reframing is more than a technological advancement, as it's setting them apart in the fast-moving AI landscape. For Jody Hudson-Powell and the Pentagram team, it became the foundation for the entire creative direction.
"The 'video as volume' idea became our way of visualising their technology," Jody explains. "Traditionally, AI sees video as separate frames – individual moments, isolated. But TwelveLabs understands everything at once, an interconnected whole. This shift in perspective became the core idea guiding all our design choices."
Turning such an abstract and dynamic concept into a tangible brand identity was no small feat. In a sector often awash with dense data visualisations and corporate clichés, Pentagram's work for TwelveLabs stands out for its clarity and restraint. Described by the team as "smart, elegant, alive", the identity not only enhances the product's appearance but also helps explain it.
"Abstract concepts can easily get complicated, but by staying closely focused on 'video as volume,' every decision felt purposeful and naturally clear," says Jody.
A key part of this clarity is the system's use of diagrams and modular layouts. These elements do the heavy lifting when it comes to representing TwelveLabs' complex technology in a way that's accessible to a wide range of audiences, from engineers and developers to enterprise clients and creatives.
"Complexity becomes understandable when you strip things back to what's truly important," Jody says. "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."
What's striking is how the identity balances the technical with the emotive. It's a visual language that feels structured but not cold, intelligent but not aloof. According to Jody, this tension was carefully calibrated.
"Technology can feel distant, cold, but it's built around human experiences: images, memories, moments," he explains. "Our system provided clarity and structure, creating natural space for these human elements to emerge, balancing intelligence and warmth."
Motion, too, plays a critical role in bringing the brand to life. Given that TwelveLabs' platform revolves around continuous, connected reasoning, it made sense for motion to echo that logic, being subtle but purposeful.
"Motion always means something, even subtly," says Jody. "Every bit of movement mirrored the continuous reasoning of the platform. Allowing room for gentle expressiveness and even playfulness didn't take away from clarity – it enhanced it."
One of the most distinctive elements of the new identity is the horse symbol. On the surface, it's a nod to Eadweard Muybridge's pioneering photographic studies of motion and an iconic reference for any visual technology. But there's a deeper connection, as TwelveLabs already named its AI models after horses. The Pentagram team simply brought that story to the forefront.
"Often, the best ideas are already there, just waiting to be noticed," says Jody. "We simply amplified that story, connecting it back to Muybridge's historical images, allowing it to clearly communicate motion and intelligence in a fresh yet familiar way."
Throughout the project, the team had to consider the diversity of TwelveLabs' audience, from developers and researchers to large-scale enterprise clients and the broader creative community. The result is an identity system that feels accessible without being simplistic and capable of meeting users at every level of expertise.
"We aimed for a universal tone – clear, direct, and welcoming for everyone, regardless of their expertise," Jody says. "Precision doesn't have to be complicated, and clarity invites everyone in. Finding a voice that felt calm, clear, and honest meant meeting each person exactly where they are."
The outcome is an identity that doesn't just repackage complex AI technology. It embodies the very qualities that make TwelveLabs' approach revolutionary: interconnected, intelligent, and distinctly human.
#pentagram #crafts #smart #elegant #identityPentagram crafts a smart, elegant identity for AI video pioneer TwelveLabs
Pentagram's latest project introduces a striking new identity for TwelveLabs, an AI company redefining how machines comprehend video. At its heart, the rebrand marks a conceptual shift, positioning video not as a linear sequence of frames but as a volume.
For TwelveLabs, this reframing is more than a technological advancement, as it's setting them apart in the fast-moving AI landscape. For Jody Hudson-Powell and the Pentagram team, it became the foundation for the entire creative direction.
"The 'video as volume' idea became our way of visualising their technology," Jody explains. "Traditionally, AI sees video as separate frames – individual moments, isolated. But TwelveLabs understands everything at once, an interconnected whole. This shift in perspective became the core idea guiding all our design choices."
Turning such an abstract and dynamic concept into a tangible brand identity was no small feat. In a sector often awash with dense data visualisations and corporate clichés, Pentagram's work for TwelveLabs stands out for its clarity and restraint. Described by the team as "smart, elegant, alive", the identity not only enhances the product's appearance but also helps explain it.
"Abstract concepts can easily get complicated, but by staying closely focused on 'video as volume,' every decision felt purposeful and naturally clear," says Jody.
A key part of this clarity is the system's use of diagrams and modular layouts. These elements do the heavy lifting when it comes to representing TwelveLabs' complex technology in a way that's accessible to a wide range of audiences, from engineers and developers to enterprise clients and creatives.
"Complexity becomes understandable when you strip things back to what's truly important," Jody says. "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."
What's striking is how the identity balances the technical with the emotive. It's a visual language that feels structured but not cold, intelligent but not aloof. According to Jody, this tension was carefully calibrated.
"Technology can feel distant, cold, but it's built around human experiences: images, memories, moments," he explains. "Our system provided clarity and structure, creating natural space for these human elements to emerge, balancing intelligence and warmth."
Motion, too, plays a critical role in bringing the brand to life. Given that TwelveLabs' platform revolves around continuous, connected reasoning, it made sense for motion to echo that logic, being subtle but purposeful.
"Motion always means something, even subtly," says Jody. "Every bit of movement mirrored the continuous reasoning of the platform. Allowing room for gentle expressiveness and even playfulness didn't take away from clarity – it enhanced it."
One of the most distinctive elements of the new identity is the horse symbol. On the surface, it's a nod to Eadweard Muybridge's pioneering photographic studies of motion and an iconic reference for any visual technology. But there's a deeper connection, as TwelveLabs already named its AI models after horses. The Pentagram team simply brought that story to the forefront.
"Often, the best ideas are already there, just waiting to be noticed," says Jody. "We simply amplified that story, connecting it back to Muybridge's historical images, allowing it to clearly communicate motion and intelligence in a fresh yet familiar way."
Throughout the project, the team had to consider the diversity of TwelveLabs' audience, from developers and researchers to large-scale enterprise clients and the broader creative community. The result is an identity system that feels accessible without being simplistic and capable of meeting users at every level of expertise.
"We aimed for a universal tone – clear, direct, and welcoming for everyone, regardless of their expertise," Jody says. "Precision doesn't have to be complicated, and clarity invites everyone in. Finding a voice that felt calm, clear, and honest meant meeting each person exactly where they are."
The outcome is an identity that doesn't just repackage complex AI technology. It embodies the very qualities that make TwelveLabs' approach revolutionary: interconnected, intelligent, and distinctly human.
#pentagram #crafts #smart #elegant #identity
English
Arabic
French
Spanish
Portuguese
Deutsch
Turkish
Dutch
Italiano
Russian
Romaian
Portuguese (Brazil)
Greek
