At present, a Google image search of AI or data generates infinite clichéd stock images of glowing circuit boards in outer space or dystopian cyborg heads. When the media and brands repeatedly use this type of imagery to represent technological advancements, it perpetuates the idea that they have unknown powers that are too complex to comprehend.
This is problematic. A recent study by Pega found that more than 70% of consumers harbour some sort of fear of AI, and this is partly due to a lack of understanding of what exactly AI is and what it does. This knowledge gap has the potential to negatively shape consumers’ perceptions of new technologies. Consequently, how we brand and communicate these concepts needs to change to overcome this mistrust.
As ever more complex data systems drive our lives, our focus as designers and artists is to create new metaphors that help people, brands and institutions to talk about these abstract and intangible things.
Through the use of dynamic typography and responsive digital visualisations, progressive creative practitioners such as Field and Tendril are addressing this issue head on, and are establishing a new visual language that eradicates the current ambiguity. ‘As ever more complex data systems drive our lives, our focus as designers and artists is to create new metaphors that help people, brands and institutions to talk about these abstract and intangible things,’ explains Marcus Wendt, creative director at digital studio Field.
Trend Primer:
Context: Advances in technology have resulted in AI and data playing a key role in our society, yet most people do not fully understand these complex systems. As discussed in Morality Recoded, there is a lack of visual metaphors to represent these new abstract concepts, and the imagery typically used is purposely vague or dystopian.
Sectors: Branding, communications, advertising, packaging, fintech, art direction, retail
Treatments: Translucent abstract forms, CGI molecular textures, dynamic and informative moving typography, positive synthetic colours