Initial reactions to OpenAI’s recent brand update range from chilly to actively peeved, largely fueled by a sense that a technology so profound deserves something “more.” This in-house update is subtle, but also elegant and effective in the same way that a perfect little black dress delivers.
The designers say their goal was to create an identity that is “more organic and more human,” but which still expresses OpenAI’s status as a technology and research leader.
The new design builds on a system that was in use since 2017 and test-flown (and not warmly received by employees) in 2024. It has a circular theme: a new, bespoke typeface—OpenAI Sans, which is used in the new wordmark—is replete with full-bodied shapes; the circular blossom icon is refined; and the pulsing, blue “emotive point” button that connects users with the technology rounds out the central triad.
The new typeface, refined but friendly, is well-matched to a new photography plan that presents “real images” from the world where users live. From an excellent Wallpaper article on the redesign: “… the imagery ranges from landscape to still life, to more abstract forms…. The human curation of imagery remains essential. ‘We’re trying to find a way to research the world and find things that are both human and surprising,’ says [head of design Veit] Moeller, ‘although we don’t have a rule that AI can’t produce this element of levity, imperfection and introspection.’”