Ragged Edge’s rebrand of training platform Kili seeks to humanise AI
The studio used the “powerful device” of a mascot for the branding, while avoiding the “epic” claims and “hyperbole” of the AI space.
Ragged Edge has rebranded AI training platform Kili, designing an animated mascot that seeks to “breath life into complex technical concepts”.
Founded in 2018, the platform was built to enable subject experts to collaborate with in-house tech teams to create high quality data training sets, turning human expertise into trusted AI solutions. When Kili first got in touch with Ragged Edge, “AI wasn’t in the mainstream consciousness as it is now” so the design team were keen to get to grips with it, finding ways to “communicate the nuances so that it felt relatable and relevant”, says the studio’s co-founder Max Ottignon.
Kili’s new strategy moves away from “the hyperbole of the AI space”, instead spotlighting the brand’s “pragmatic expertise”, according to Ottignon. This meant avoiding “epic imagery and claims about being world-changing” in favour of “a clear, simple approach” with evidence of humanity, he says.
“Mascots are powerful devices that are hugely under-used, particularly in B2B”, says Ottignon, justifying why Kili’s mascot is so important to the identity. He believes that it also adds “relatability”, making the platform feel accessible.
Kili’s mascot assumes the role of a smart assistant and comes to life through motion, which was done with the help of London-based Oh Studio, which specialises in animation. Ottignon reveals that “finding the right balance for the mascot” to make the identity both credible and relatable was a challenge.
The platform’s logo appears more angular than other graphic elements in the identity. The studio’s choice of logotype aims to balance “the technical with the humanity”, says Ottignon, as it was designed to feel “solid and technical through its blocky forms”. He adds that “an element of human friendliness” is visible in the circular tittles of the ‘i’s, as “the aim was to complement the mascot, rather than to mirror it”.
Ragged Edge sought to humanise the brand further through typeface choice, colour palette and UI design. For the headline typeface, Ragged Edge opted for National 2 Condensed. Ottignon describes it as having “humble, hard-working qualities”.
A combination of bright orange and softer, neutral tones make up Kili’s colour palette. The studio looked to “add a sense of plumpness and fullness to the design elements” in a bid to increase approachable, Ottignon explains.
He adds that the design system devised by Ragged Edge was conceived with “clarity and simplicity” in mind, so it could work cohesively with Kili’s user interface.
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This is one of the smartest brand snapshots I have seen in a while. It looks to have come from a really clear and simple purpose to ‘humanise’ – and it delivers, particularly in the animation of the drop downs in the UI. For me, the character works really well with the ‘artificial, based on expert intelligence’ copy tone. Nice work : )