IBM AI Academy

While AI tools for everything from customer service to HR hit the market, business leaders are asking one question — how can my organisation make the most of this new technology? IBM AI Academy was built to expand tech literacy but the platform needed evolving. So IBM partnered with us to build a distinctive identity that drove engagement and expanded the brand's potential.

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Our designs, illustrations, animations and final toolkit were inspired by three core principles — Human-centred education, the multi-dimensional nature of AI and the value created when complex concepts become simple ideas. Together these elements help empower C suite leaders to become value creators.

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As leaders in tech innovation, IBM AI Academy provides education on AI integration for a wide audience. Led by top thought leaders, the curriculum helps business leaders learn how to prioritise the kind of AI investments that drive growth. Co-creation is at the heart of this reciprocal relationship — AI generating value through human input. So our visual identity is built around tactile UI and human interface elements. Illustrations are  animated with a natural glide and haptic  assets almost invite interaction, emphasising the knowledge and control members of the academy gain by understanding AI. 

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Each AI Academy episode is fast-paced and made with busy schedules in mind. So our visual language is designed to be energetic and engaging. Dynamic motion graphics support important video sections with contextual information, making it easier for business leaders to understand the multidimensional nature of AI. With that understanding comes a perspective shift, also represented by our animation style — assets twisting, turning and shifting to be viewed from different angles. 

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As sets shift, our brand language creates a sense of cohesion between different episodes. Grid and dot elements and consistent typographic rules work together to create graphic unity that avoids uniformity. The visual identity also leans heavily on minimalism. Mirroring the way AI digests massive amounts of data to output concise information, our animations play with visual simplicity — design elements and assets flex in fidelity to allow the viewer to digest each illustrated point on the same level regardless of complexity.

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