Studio Freight showcase the multi-faceted yet ‘invisible’ nature of AI in their identity for Brex AI

As a trailblazer in financial management solutions, Brex teamed up with Studio Freight to craft a brand identity for their AI-driven product line. Given Brex’s standing as a category forerunner, the Ohio-based creative studio was tasked with the challenge of designing an identity that not only upholds this prestige but also accentuates the seamless amalgamation of AI in their financial ecosystem. All the while, it was crucial to keep the essence of Brex alive in the look. “Working within Brex’s brand system to create a sub-brand for their new AI product was both a challenge and an opportunity,” Creative Director Patrick Torres tells us. “The goal was to develop an identity that honoured and extended the larger brand while also standing on its own two feet as a distinct offering.” At the same time, this AI product marked a huge milestone – so the identity needed to rise to the occasion. The sub-brand was unveiled at an event in San Francisco – featuring speakers from Google, Scale, and Sequoia – where it provided a platform for Brex’s founders and CEO to engage with industry leaders. In the world of AI-related identities, Torres points out that many take a reductionist approach and draw inspiration from the same sources. “Brex AI’s identity is more of a celebration,” he continues, “where the concept of harmonising human creativity with technological innovation (even in the area of finance) is brought front and centre.” The design philosophy adopted by Studio Freight aimed to set Brex apart in the competitive field of financial technology with a design concept that celebrates this harmony while leaning heavily into ‘tech’ conventions to highlight the next-gen capabilities of the product. Freight integrated Space Mono into the brand’s typography, reinforcing this tech-oriented feel, and paired it with the brand’s existing typeface, Inter. “Everything in the primary type system is a bespoke cut of Inter or Space Mono,” explains Torres. “However, for this identity, we wanted to take a different approach to the typography. We opted for lighter weights and developed a new type scale that harmonises with, but remains distinct from, the core system. This allowed us to maintain a cohesive look while giving the AI identity its own unique presence within the Brex brand.”