Duties Studio’s organic identity for Neural Codex counteracts the “daunting and robotic” nature of AI

The founders of Duties Studio, Paul Conley and Erling Aarønæs, go way back. Having known each other since they were kids, the two designers decided to start up their own studio just before the pandemic, after collaborating closely on a bunch of freelance projects over the years. “Starting a studio together just made sense as we share a passion for good design, new technology and a better way of doing things after both having worked in the agency world,” says Erling.

Working predominantly across visual identities and web design, the studio neatly ties together Paul’s background in branding and graphic design, and Erling’s experience with web and digital. “It’s been super interesting to work at the intersection of these disciplines, which then allows us to offer clients, especially in the startup space, an essential package to help them stand out in their category and put their best foot forward in the digital world,” says Paul. This is exactly what they set out to do in their latest collaboration with Neural Codex: A public resource for AI discourse, aiming to simplify AI and make it accessible and understandable for all.

Tasked with creating a visual identity for the non-profit, the duo wanted to make an “intentional departure” from the expected graphic tropes surrounding AI and “similar tech-centric themes,” when it came to the platform’s branding. At a time when AI is dominating our feeds with “the good, bad and the ugly,” Neural Codex — a new startup on the scene – is posing a platform that informs and educates about AI, with all its capabilities, risks and implications, in a way that’s “digestible,” explains Erling. The studio’s approach had to debut the startup as a brand that would “strike the right balance between being approachable enough for the general public, unconventional enough to attract attention, yet serious enough to be recognised by experts in the field.” Not an easy brief.

Determined for a fresh look to demystify AI against its backdrop of “stock images featuring robots and motherboards”, Duties Studio commissioned illustrator David Vanadia to steer the platform’s visual language into the fluid and organic. Paul says: “We commissioned David to produce a suite of illustrations loosely based around the concept of AI hallucinations, AI literacy and the transformative effects of AI. These not only added a distinct layer of personality to the identity, but we felt they also injected a critical human and organic element to counteract the daunting and robotic nature of AI for some audiences.”

These fluid forms spilled over into the brand’s logo, which took tips from the studio’s brand name. “Neural”, referencing pathways in the brain and “Codex” a nod to ancient books and manuscripts, the logo’s design is inspired by the “grooves and ridges on the brain’s surface” whilst resembling “a book with open pages”. As for typography, the pair used a serif called Latrik to hone in on the academic rigour of the brand, taking inspiration from “scholastic materials in the 90s and early 2000s.” The typeface contains, however, some fun little quirks and a softness that “makes it feel friendly and accessible, whilst still feeling at home in the world of academia,” Paul adds. Colour also came into play with a focus on the formality of black-and-white, with soft gradients of warming orange and purple representative of “wisdom, intuition and problem solving… It’s also commonly associated with creativity and magic, making it a perfect symbol for the mind-boggling capabilities of AI”, says Erling.

For a learning platform aimed at beginners that also hopes to become well trusted by academics, the studio’s illustrated identity aims to establish Neural Codex as a leading voice in the discussion on AI, one that reaches lots of different thinkers — not just experts in the field of tech. On the value of illustration for the project and the current use of AI in the design world, Paul concludes: “AI can replicate texture and hand-drawn looks, but it will potentially lack the soul and expressiveness of the human hand.”