Shape AI, an early-stage startup, approached us with a critical business challenge: articulating the story of their cutting-edge technological solution designed to address a prevalent issue in natural language processing. Our branding goal was clear and ambitious – to clear the technological clutter and lead with a narrative that sells a dream product to clients. We took on the challenge, reimagining their brand identity and website design, all within a swift timeframe of just 22 days.
Our one-day strategy workshop started with a deep dive into the nuts and bolts of Shape AI’s tech. It was crucial to get a true feel for what sets them apart from the rest. Then, we tackled understanding the main pain points and linking those with what we learned about their tech. The challenge was maintaining the cool, innovative edge of their technology while not just coming off as another tech company. The key insight was realizing that Shape AI's tech is super flexible for the end-user, offering virtually endless usability. The heart of the brand message became "Stretch your product without changing its shape," showing that you don't need to keep adding stuff to your product. Just hook it up with Shape's tech, and users can tweak it to their heart's content.
At the heart of Shape AI's visual identity is the concept of flexibility, symbolizing the elasticity and adaptability the technology offers to businesses. This central element conveys the idea that, much like a rubber band stretching into various shapes and returning to its original form, Shape AI enhances a product's AI capabilities without altering its essence.
The logo emerged as a graphic abstraction of this visual language. Inspired by the rubber band concept, the Shape logo was crafted to encapsulate the flexibility and transformational nature of Shape AI's technology, reflecting its ability to stretch and adapt without losing its core identity.
The complexity of Shape AI's product posed a unique challenge in digital experience design. The primary goal was to make the essence of Shape accessible and user-friendly. Collaborating with the Shape team, we simplified their product process, creating a narrative with the user at its core. The website narrates the product's journey, showcasing the behind-the-scenes workings of Shape's AI engine through figurative language, making it accessible and experiential. Interactive elements and animations were strategically used to ensure a complete and engaging story, simplifying a complex technology into an understandable and appealing digital experience.
