China’s DeepSeek artificial intelligence company is causing a major stir in the technology sector. It achieved fame overnight, topping Apple’s App Store rankings. It managed to surpass competitors like ChatGPT and Gemini in a much shorter time and with a smaller budget.
Last week, DeepSeek presented an updated version of its open-source chatbot called DeepSeek-V3. According to technology experts, this is a serious signal aimed at the US technology industry. Although DeepSeek-V3 was developed in just a few months, it is very similar to advanced AI models like ChatGPT-4 and Meta Llama. It was created with a much smaller budget and relatively simple code and strategies: while the latest version of ChatGPT cost $100 million, DeepSeek was limited to only $6 million. This news caused concern among investors, with the Nasdaq stock market dropping by $1 trillion in one day.
However, this company revolutionizing the technology industry is presenting itself not with OpenAI’s black vortex-shaped logo or robot image, but with a bright blue whale.
This design contradicts the branding trends that dominate among current AI companies. While today’s AI companies prefer abstract designs and strict technological aesthetics, DeepSeek is going against traditional rules and offering consumers a new perspective.
Why is the DeepSeek logo attracting attention?
The DeepSeek logo consists of a bright blue whale image that appears to be jumping on the screen. Along with the logo, the brand name is written in a rounded font.
This visual identification creates an impression of comfort and friendliness, which helps the brand stand out among competitors.
Martin Grasser, the designer who created Twitter’s famous logo, commented on the “lack of personality and joy” in brand identification in the technology industry in recent years.
“Today, the design of technology companies is uniform. Most of them lack uniqueness,” he says.
Grasser described the DeepSeek logo and the concept behind it as “pleasant and interesting.”
Although DeepSeek has not provided an official explanation for its logo design, the company’s chatbot noted that the symbol represents “depth, intelligence, and discovery” and aligns with the company’s focus on artificial intelligence and deep learning.
According to Teemu Suviala, the chief creative director of the Landor agency, the whale image has many symbolic meanings. His opinion is as follows:
“In many cultures, the whale is perceived as a symbol of wisdom, power, and prosperity. In some cultures, seeing a whale is interpreted as a sign of positive changes in the future.”
According to Suviala, the whale’s movement across the ocean is a powerful metaphor for DeepSeek users: “The idea of navigation is related to DeepSeek’s open-source nature, which distinguishes the company from competitors.”
However, Suviala and Martin Grasser noted that the DeepSeek brand has not achieved full perfection. In their opinion, the logo is almost invisible at a small size. Grasser, commenting on the brand’s typographic approach, said that the font creates an “anxious” aesthetic.
Suviala noted that the spacing between letters is inconsistent, which disrupts visual integrity.
Such discrepancies can be characteristic of the brand-building process for startups. Independent creative director Ross Clugston believes that many startups in the USA do not initially invest heavily in branding because:
“Until a company reaches maturity and feels the need to appear as a serious business in the eyes of investors, it’s not necessary to pay much attention to brand identification. Animal images are often used for fun and social tech platforms like Twitter, Mailchimp, Tripadvisor, and Evernote.”
Therefore, DeepSeek may have consciously chosen this approach, as such a design helps to form a soft, comfortable, and safe image of the company.
Nevertheless, DeepSeek’s unexpected branding approach creates the impression that as an AI company, it aimed to stand out from competitors rather than adapt to them.
“The brand reflects imagination and the unknown world – this is very interesting. A brand that evokes curiosity is more appealing than brands that encompass and control everything,” says Grasser.
Can an unusual design be long-lasting?
In recent years, leading AI companies have been utilizing design styles based on specific graphic elements in their brand identities.
• Minimalistic logos – Replica, Jasper AI, Enzyme
• Abstract, vortex-shaped hexagonal design – OpenAI, DeepMind, Stability AI
• Secondary “asterisk” symbol – OpenAI, Google, Adobe, Grammarly.
As artificial intelligence evolves, major technology companies are increasingly focusing on common identification styles that signify their leadership in the AI field rather than distinguishing their individual brands. Since these graphic elements are deeply ingrained in consumer consciousness, new AI companies often attempt to adapt to existing trends by employing ready-made visual associations.
From this perspective, DeepSeek’s novel branding approach is considered a significant risk. However, how the company establishes its experience and communication style will be one of the factors determining its long-term success. Teemu Suviala comments on this:
“The success of DeepSeek’s approach depends on how the company conducts itself in the coming months.”
Ross Clugston evaluates DeepSeek’s brand strategy as follows:
“I can confidently say that DeepSeek can be a cause for concern for Silicon Valley, Wall Street, and government regulators in any case. Therefore, creating the company’s logo as a small, friendly whale was a strategically sound decision.”
Prepared by Zukhrakhon Mansurova
