Who We Are
Three ways to tell the KISO AI story. Each version serves a different context. Choose based on your audience.
The world's 3rd and 4th largest economies are barely using AI.
Japan's AI utilization sits at 9%. Germany, despite leading European manufacturing, trails at similar levels. Meanwhile, China is at 56% and the US at 46%. This is not a technology problem. It is an education problem.
KISO AI exists to close that gap in both markets simultaneously. We build evidence-based AI education designed for Japanese and German professionals: structured curricula, measured outcomes, practical application. No hype. No buzzwords. Just the foundation you need to work with AI effectively.
We measured the demand. Then we built for it.
Shift AI generates $4M USD per month teaching AI skills in Japan with a traditional, offline-first model. We saw that number and asked: what happens when you combine that validated demand with modern distribution, bilingual content, and AI-native delivery?
KISO AI is the answer. Our programs are built on research, delivered through scalable systems, and measured by what students actually do after completing them. Not course completion rates. Application rates.
Two markets. Two founders. One system.
KISO AI was founded by Daichi and Fabian Kiby. Daichi brings deep expertise in backend engineering, systems architecture, and product development, combined with native Japanese fluency and direct market access from Tokyo. Fabian brings brand architecture, design, content expertise, AI infrastructure, and distribution strategy from building agentic operations for high-profile creators.
Together, they are building AI education for two of the world's largest untapped markets simultaneously. Japan and Germany, simultaneously. Same system. Two languages. Built to expand globally.
"We measured this. Here's the proof."
Logo
The KISO AI mark consists of stacked horizontal bars forming an abstract "K" (data visualization meets building blocks), paired with a geometric sans-serif wordmark. Five variants cover every use case.
Variants
Full Logo — Light
Primary mark. Symbol + wordmark stacked vertically on white background. Default for all brand materials.
Full Logo — Dark
Inverted mark for dark backgrounds. Social media dark contexts, video overlays, midnight-palette applications.
Horizontal Lockup
Symbol + wordmark side by side. Navigation bars, email signatures, co-branding contexts.
Icon Mark
Symbol only. Favicons, app icons, watermarks, small-format contexts where wordmark would be illegible.
Wordmark Only
Text-only mark in Plus Jakarta Sans 700. Horizontal layouts, minimal contexts, text-heavy environments.
Icon Explorations — Color Fusion
Four icon directions exploring how indigo, warm orange, and white interact. Each concept fuses the KISO AI identity with subtle Claude ecosystem warmth.
A — Warm Core
Stacked bars with the center bar in Claude orange. The warm center represents AI as the foundation layer, flanked by indigo structure. Symbolizes: AI at the heart of education.
B — Gradient Bridge
Every bar flows from indigo to warm orange, left to right. Creates visual movement and energy. Symbolizes: the bridge between traditional education and AI capability.
C — Signal Dot
Clean indigo bars with a single warm orange dot at the center. Minimal, precise. The dot signals "AI-active" like a nucleus. Symbolizes: AI intelligence at the core of the foundation.
D — Split Spectrum
Each bar is split down the center: indigo left, warm orange right. Two colors, two markets, one system. Symbolizes: the dual-market DNA of KISO AI (Japan + Germany, structure + warmth).
Clear Space
Maintain a minimum clear space of 1x on all sides, where x equals the height of the icon mark.
Minimum Sizes
Logo Usage Rules
基礎
The kanji mark for KISO AI. Rendered in Yuji Boku for its organic, hand-brushed sumi-e character. Reproducible at every size, culturally authentic, brand-aligned.
Why Yuji Boku?
Brush calligraphy feel. Organic, slightly irregular. Closest to hand-brushed sumi-e among Google Fonts. This is the only approved font for the kanji mark. Alternatives (Zen Antique, Shippori Antique, Noto Sans JP Black) were evaluated and rejected.
The Kanji
Size System
The mark must work from 16px favicon to full-bleed hero. All sizes use Yuji Boku except 16px favicon (Noto Sans JP Black for legibility).
Mark + Artwork
The kanji mark composited over sumi-e artwork. These are the hero assets for website, social, and print.
Sumi-e compositions by Midjourney. Warm washi paper texture, ink brushwork, warm amber glow. These assets are approved for: website hero, social media backgrounds, presentation covers, video thumbnails, print materials.
Kanji Overlay Composites
Clean Yuji Boku kanji layered over the sumi-e artwork. This is the primary hero treatment.
Kanji Mark Rules
White Space
Based on comprehensive analysis of 20+ competitors across Japan and Germany. These gaps define where KISO AI wins. Use this intelligence to inform all brand communications.
Market Opportunity
Strategic Gaps We Own
Channel Strategy (per market)
Competitors sound like hype. We sound like a research lab.
Color
Three coordinated palettes for different contexts. Click any swatch to copy its hex value.
Strategic use only. The warm orange creates a subconscious association with the Claude AI ecosystem. Use for: interactive elements, hover states, progress indicators, completion badges, and "AI-powered" feature highlights. Never as a primary brand color.
Gradient Recipes
Type
Two font stacks for different contexts. The brand uses a clean, modern system. The platform uses a more technical, data-focused system. Japanese typography uses Noto Sans JP.
When to use handwritten type:
Annotations on diagrams, margin notes, personal asides, social media captions, section introductions. Handwritten type signals human authorship. It breaks the "AI-generated" pattern that audiences are learning to detect. Use it deliberately, not decoratively.
Japanese Typography — 日本語
All Japanese body text uses Noto Sans JP. The kanji mark (基礎) uses Yuji Boku exclusively (see Section 03: The Mark). When English and Japanese appear together, Japanese text should be 1-2px smaller due to visual density. Japanese headings use weight 700, body uses 400. Always test bilingual layouts at mobile widths to ensure line breaks are natural. Never break a kanji compound across lines.
German Typography — Deutsch
German text uses the standard brand fonts (Plus Jakarta Sans / Inter). German compound nouns can be very long (Grundstücksverkehrsgenehmigungszuständigkeitsübertragungsverordnung). Always test layouts with worst-case word lengths. Use hyphens for line breaks in German compounds when necessary. Umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and Eszett (ß) must render correctly in all font weights.
Voice
KISO AI speaks with scientific authority. Evidence first, always.
Evidence-Based
We cite data, not opinions. Every claim has a source.
Precise
Technical accuracy over marketing fluff. Say what you mean.
Authoritative
Speak from research, not speculation. Confidence backed by measurement.
Accessible
Complex topics, clear language. No jargon gatekeeping.
Writing Rules
Do
Don't
Messaging Examples
Visual Language
KISO AI's visual identity is built on warm cream surfaces with paper-grain texture, controlled indigo and warm orange accents. The cream base creates a notebook-like tactile quality. The orange is a deliberate psychological anchor to the Claude AI ecosystem.
Background Construction
Every KISO AI surface is composed of three layers, creating a tactile, notebook-like quality.
Indigo Accent Patterns
Gradient Text
Divider
Pull Quote
Status Pulse
Warm Accent Patterns (Claude Association)
Warm Gradient Text
Warm Divider
Progress / Completion
AI Feature Badge
Calligraphy System — 書道
Japanese calligraphy on cream paper is culturally authentic and immediately signals human craft. Three applications across the brand system.
The kanji for "Kiso" rendered at 3-5% opacity behind content sections. Creates a fourth background layer: cream → grid → grain → calligraphy. Use on hero sections, program UI empty states, social media backgrounds, landing page hero.
Replace linear gradient dividers with organic sumi-e brush strokes.
The zen brush circle. Must look hand-painted with visible brush texture, thick-to-thin ink variation, and an intentional gap (open at top right). Wraps around the kanji mark, frames section openings, certification badges, loading states.
Sumi-e ensō compositions for use as hero backgrounds, social media, and framing devices.
calligraphy on cream = washi paper.
This combination is culturally native to Japan while feeling premium to Western audiences. It signals human authorship in an AI-saturated landscape. Use all three directions together: watermark for depth, brush strokes for texture, ensō for emphasis.
Sumi-e Brand Artwork
The complete KISO AI visual asset library. 9 compositions across 4 formats: vertical heroes, horizontal banners, ensō circles, and ink textures. All feature warm washi paper, ink brushwork, and amber glow representing AI illumination.
基礎 kanji + figure with glowing device. Primary hero for website, social, presentations.
Vertical ink strokes over figure. Evokes stacked-bar icon mark. Social backgrounds, thumbnails, carousels.
Ink mass rising like architecture. Represents "foundation" literally. Course covers, print, editorial.
Standing figure holds device toward brush stroke. Amber glow bridges human and ink. Website hero, YouTube banner, email header, LinkedIn cover.
Minimal composition with figure and amber glow below brush stroke. More negative space. Presentation slides, blog headers, OG images.
Figure inside brush-painted ensō circle, interacting with glowing display. The circle represents completeness and openness to learning. Use for: certification badges, module completion screens, social media story covers, about page hero.
Macro-detail ink wash on washi paper. No figures. Use as: background overlays at 5-15% opacity, section divider backgrounds, print texture layers, video b-roll elements. These replace generic paper grain textures with real ink-on-paper photography.
Photography Direction
Preferred
Warm, natural tones. Soft contrast. Natural light. Japanese and German urban/tech settings. Notebooks, workspaces, screens with data. People learning/collaborating. Compositions that feel handcrafted, not templated. Cream, paper, and warm orange accents. Sumi-e artwork over stock photography wherever possible.
Avoid
Stock photo aesthetic. Over-saturated colors. Generic corporate imagery. Western-only faces. Over-filtered or trendy processing. Busy backgrounds. Robot/cyborg cliches. Flashy YouTube thumbnail style (competitors use this). Science-explainer aesthetic (Kurzgesagt territory).
Visual Differentiation from Competitors
Competitors Look Like
Male-dominated creator aesthetic with flashy thumbnails. "Side hustle" visual language in Japan. Generic tech-bro styling in Germany. Tool demo screenshots. Blue/purple neon gradients. Stock AI imagery (brains, circuits, robots).
We Look Like
A research institution with cultural depth. Sumi-e ink on washi paper. Data visualizations that prove claims. Cream warmth instead of sterile white. The calligraphy/data fusion IS the brand. No competitor has anything like it. This visual language should be instantly recognizable across every touchpoint.
Spacing
A consistent spacing scale ensures visual rhythm across all KISO AI surfaces.
Spacing Scale
Card Patterns
10px radius, 1px border, 28px padding
12px radius, 1px border, 24px padding
8px radius, midnight bg, 20px padding
Grid Specifications
Learning Experience
Interface patterns for the KISO AI platform. Trilingual-ready (EN / JP / DE), precision-designed, built for professionals who expect quality.
Interaction Design
Action Hierarchy
Indigo = primary actions. Warm orange = AI-enhanced features. Ghost = secondary.
Progress System
Program Cards — Trilingual
Data Display
Learner Dashboard
In Context
How the brand system translates across different media and formats. Note the warm orange accent threading through AI-related touchpoints.
Founder Signatures
Email Signature — Fabian
Indigo-to-orange gradient divider, Signal Dot icon, role context
Email Signature — Daichi
Same system, same hierarchy. Consistent across both founders.
Marketing & Content
Social — German Market
Midnight bg, German copy, warm orange status dot
Social — Japanese Market
Claude-dark bg, warm orange icon + accents, JP copy
das Sie brauchen.
Landing Page — DE
Indigo-to-orange gradient CTA, German hero copy
Thumbnail — DE
Indigo-to-orange progress bar, German labels, warm badge
Brand Guardrails
Quick reference for maintaining brand consistency across every touchpoint.
Visual
Verbal
Trilingual Content Rules
Anti-Slop Quality Checklist
When in doubt, ask: would a researcher trust this?