IBM Watson
Personifying AI
IBM Watson is a groundbreaking cognitive computing system and was first celebrated for correctly answering the million dollar question on the television show, Jeopardy. It has since become a vital support tool in healthcare treatment, finance, marketing, and beyond. Athletics designed Watsonʼs moving identity to personify the systemʼs behaviors and DNA.
Our Role:
Art Direction
Brand Identity
Brand Writing
Concept Development
Video Direction
Collaborators:
Onformative, Universal Everything, Colors and the Kids
When human meets machine
IBM Watson is pioneering the symbiotic relationship between human and machine. Seeking to transcend fears associated with automation, IBM Watson is the leading example of artificial intelligence’s positive potential across industries. Capable of comprehensively reimagining the way we do business, Watson puts us at the cusp of a new, data-driven industrial revolution.
Watson is named for IBM’s first CEO, Thomas J. Watson

Evoking a sense of wonder
Understanding that the brand would have to evoke a sense of profound wonder befitting a technology of this caliber, we designed a cloud-like mass of pulsating nodes, symbolic of data, surrounded by a series of orbiting rings, symbolic of Watson’s ability to instantaneously parse and process this information into useful outcomes.

The foundation for things to come
Our team was inspired by themes of trust and transparency, aiming to personify this abstract, powerful tool, and reflect Watsonʼs ever-evolving impact on the world we live in. Since launching, the IBM Watson design system has served as an exemplar for subsequent IBM sub-brands.


“This is a great identity for a product that’s really difficult to market.”
Under Consideration

