Ai Intiative

Client: UCT
Project lead & client management: Unfold
Design: Unfold

A team of researchers at UCT asked Unfold to develop a visual identity for the newly formed AI Institute. We kicked off with an hour-long design workshop—something we include in all our identity projects. This visual-led session helps us explore competitor brands and possible art directions. It gave us a clear picture of the team’s vision for the Institute and where they wanted the brand to go.

The AI Institute aims to create an inspiring ecosystem where researchers and students can do world-class work in AI—unlocking its potential across healthcare, the environment, climate, and poverty reduction. At the heart of the Institute’s vision is a world where everyone benefits equitably from the transformative power of AI.

An icon that grows

Both the researchers and our team felt a strong need for a logo that felt distinctly African. We were drawn to the idea of AI as something growing and evolving—and the Institute’s role in shaping new tools and models to tackle humanitarian and environmental challenges. Basket weaving became a key inspiration, with its patterns forming from the inside out. We layered this with the concept of a neural network—bold in areas where connections are strongest.

The logo hints at collaboration, intelligence, and ongoing innovation. Its open-ended form reflects continuous learning, adaptability, and evolution—core ideas in AI research. The design aims to strike a balance between human creativity and artificial intelligence.

A brand needs a guide

A clean brand guide accompanies the logo, delivered in a range of formats.
It includes:

• Logo variations
• Guidelines for logo use
• Font pairings
• Primary colour palette
• UCT co-branding details
• Merchandise suggestions

Using the same visual language as the icon, we expanded the shape and introduced more colour. The open ends actively seek new connections—echoing the collaborative nature of the work—which provided natural links to line art. This became the starting point for the banner designs that followed.

Banners

We created four banners, each focused on a core theme: healthcare, climate, environment, and people or culture. To echo the idea of expansion, the banners were designed as seamless tiles—continuous line illustrations that can grow and repeat. Each one weaves together layered visuals that symbolise key areas of research, setting the stage for deeper storytelling in each theme.

Capacity and People

When knowledge and data are shared responsibly, everyone benefits—and the whole ecosystem thrives, like a mycelium or root network.

Ethics, Governance and Justice

AI must be developed to support shared knowledge across fields—medicine, climate science, food security, and more—ensuring it remains fair, responsible, and inclusive.

Basic AI science

AI can support efforts to track and monitor biodiversity loss, address Africa’s unique health challenges, and advance rehabilitation techniques and medical innovation—even in resource-limited settings.

Impact/Application

AI is proving to be a powerful tool across disciplines—from improving precision in robotic surgery and extracting insights from MRI scans, to decoding ancient texts through pattern recognition and enhancing faded rock art to help piece together early human history.