Q: Pulse is a major addition to the WGSN platform. What is it and what’s the story behind giving it its own brand identity?
Pulse is our new natural language search tool powered by Gen AI. In essence, it’s designed to give you precise, actionable answers to any question in seconds — all drawn from the immense depth of WGSN’s content.
We gave Pulse its own brand identity because it’s more than just another feature. It signals a new way of working with our platform – faster, more intuitive and more impactful. Pulse marks a step change in the platform experience, helping users get comprehensive answers quickly and with confidence.
Q. Choosing a name for such a big addition must have been a challenge. Why ‘Pulse’?
We had a few ideas on the table, but ‘Pulse’ quickly emerged as the clear front-runner. Our goal was to find a name that felt alive – something that would be intuitive and grow with the platform as it evolves.
In trend forecasting, ‘pulse’ is a familiar term for capturing the real-time heartbeat of a market or an industry. It instantly communicates what our tool does – it helps you take the pulse of a trend to understand its current state.
We chose it because it’s clear, memorable and directly communicates the value of the tool to give us fast, relevant insight that keeps pace with change.
Q. Tell us the story behind the Pulse logomark – what does it represent?
The logomark comprises five circles representing a dynamic hub of activity. They shift, push and pull against each other to create a rhythm – a visual heartbeat that feels alive and in motion. We wanted something simple yet full of character, a mark that captures the sense of Pulse as a living, breathing presence on the platform.
As you interact with it, Pulse reveals different modes: Thinking, Resting, Responding and Greeting. Each one gives distinct visual feedback, making Pulse feel more like a companion than a tool – something dynamic, engaging and always in sync with you.
Q: How did the process of designing for an AI differ from a typical brand identity project? What was the most unique creative challenge you faced?
While we followed a familiar process of defining core concepts and principles, the biggest creative challenge was designing a brand identity that had to be both a functional tool and an evolving symbol. Unlike a traditional logo, our logomark had to be a usable UI element, requiring it to be useful and intuitive in addition to being visually appealing. This also meant the mark had to be incredibly scalable and future-proof. It will be used across the entire user journey and must be able to adapt seamlessly as the tool and its capabilities grow. We had to design an identity that wasn’t just strong today, but could also evolve alongside the AI itself.
Q. How do you hope people feel when they experience Pulse for the first time?
I want Pulse to feel approachable, curious and a little playful – like it’s ready to spark your interest from the very first moment. It should invite exploration and give the sense that you’re interacting with something lively, clever and full of personality.
Q: What’s one thing you learned from designing Pulse that you’ll carry into future projects?
Creating a brand identity for Pulse wasn’t originally part of the plan. The focus was on building the tool itself. But I noticed an opportunity to give it a visual voice. I won’t forget the day I presented the design concepts to the team of engineers and product managers. Their excitement was immediate. Suddenly, the tool named “Pulse” had a visual presence and it instantly transformed the experience. That moment confirmed for me that even when it’s not expected, taking the extra step to give a product personality can make a real difference in how people connect with it.
Interested in trying out Pulse? Book a WGSN demo here.
