OpenAI — DevDay 2025
Driven by the desire to ensure that artificial intelligence benefits everyone, OpenAI strives to connect humanity and technology. DevDay, OpenAI’s annual conference, invites developers from around the world to share ideas, while presenting exclusive previews of new innovations. As part of an ongoing collaboration, Studio Dumbar/DEPT® worked with the OpenAI Design Studio to create an identity for the largest DevDay to date.
Strategy
OpenAI set the tone for DevDay with a simple truth: it’s the best time in history to be a builder. With software engineers travelling to DevDay from across the globe we identified an opportunity to celebrate their profession and showcase the hidden architecture that powers ideas into reality. Our aim: elevate the visual vernacular and creativity of software engineering; communicate with attendees in a language they understand.
Design
Built entirely from the brand typeface – OpenAI Sans – the identity flexes seamlessly between refined typographic compositions and type-driven arcade experiences. The concept takes visual cues from OpenAI Platform and ChatGPT’s AI coding assistant (Codex), with layout and motion informed by common attributes such as indentation, function formatting, dark/light modes, colour themes, and glyphs. We translated the structure of code into a flexible design system, reflecting the interplay of movement, interaction, input and output of those who build with code. Touch-points encompass core visual, motion and sound elements, as well as event signage – including vast square parentheses framing the stage and communal areas. Inspired by ASCII art and arcade games, a family of zoomorphic characters played a significant role in the identity. Brought to life in static, motion and 3D, they starred in custom-built arcade games; attendees could call them via branded phone booths; and plushie versions were available to win from arcade-style claw machines.
Results
Simple, clean, scalable and versatile, the identity celebrates the logic and creativity of development with a fresh yet familiar visual language. The arcade games are now a popular feature at OpenAI HQ, while DevDay plushies adorn developers’ homes. The identity has since been used for the event’s global edition, DevDay Exchange, and looks set to provide the foundation for DevDay branding for years to come.
