AI FORUM

GROUP PROJECT | MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL

Harnessing the power of AI to enable a prosperous, inclusive and equitable future of Aotearoa
- AI Forum

Brief

My Input

The rebrand of AI forum consisted of a new revamped logo, brand identity, podcast branding, slideware, and more. The brief was to attract a gen z audience with a sleek and modern visual direction while still encapsulating the informative and down-to-earth original feel of AI Forum NZ.
This was a group project done at MDS. My main input was the main visual director and graphic designer. The main visual direction of the rebrand was to give AI Forum the modernity and contemporary feel it deserved - driving the “edge of technology” idea of the company to the forefront visually.

Main Concepts

By incorporating real life photography and the Maori “Koru” pattern, we were able to give AI Forum it’s “down-to-earth” feel it was asking for. The real faces helped users connect with the designs and therefore the brand easier and by giving a “face” to AI, it helped humanise and give emotion to a topic that is known for being slightly controversial or dehumanising.

The real people, koru pattern, and kea imagery are key staples in the rebrand, ethically connecting the designs and imagery to New Zealand culture. When using these elements, we always considered how a Gen Z individual may view the brand as they were not only one of the key groups we were rebranding towards, but they’re also the most predominant future AI users.

OUTCOMES

Logo

The AI Forum logo represents creativity, connection, and stability - all key elements of AI itself and therefore representing the community of AI Forum.

The logo also features it’s Maori name, staying inclusive of New Zealand’s identity and bringing in a more accessible and friendly feel to the brand overall.



* Assisted by Ben Walsham, Amanda Stuart, Rachael Friend
01.

Brand Identity

For AI Forum’s brand identity, we symbolised both tech and environmentalism at the same time by using fonts and colours that represent these core concepts well.

To introduce a modernised feel and to connect back to New Zealand culture, we made sure to include a black that represented this aspect well, assisted with a contrasting pearl-white for any text or assets that needed to be placed on the black.



* Assisted by Ben Walsham, Amanda Stuart
02.

Kea & Koru

As stated before, the kea and the koru were key components in establishing the narrative behind the AI-natured brand and it’s connection to New Zealand.

The kea represents intelligence and agility, while the koru represents growth and life. Both New Zealand culture staples and both representing the ever-growing form of AI.



* Assisted by Ben Walsham, Rachael Friend
03.

Photography

Again like stated before, the photography for AI Forum was made to help humanise AI usage and bring emotion to the brand. There is a common stigma with the current state of AI and how it can be de-humanising.

These photographs were able to be applied in many ways, mainly advertising. The structure and format of the designs were able to be changed around depending on the circumstance, but we always made sure to include a real person with real emotions, the brand colours, and a Koru.
04.

Podcast

Alongside the main rebrand, we were also tasked with creating cover art for the AI Forum podcasts. These podcasts talked about the many different uses of AI in many different industries.

These covers include imagery and branding assets from the aforementioned sections. The first image is the header image for the main podcast section and the other three images are linked with their respective podcasts.



* Assisted by Ben Walsham
05.