For over 40 years, Morningstar has delivered independent research, data, and analysis that investors worldwide trust. With rapid advances in artificial intelligence, AI has the potential to accelerate investment workflows and enable more confident decision-making.

Morningstar has responded to the demand for AI with a rapid, organic growth of tools in its products. Predictably, this led to a confusing mix of overlapping tools with inconsistent naming and visual identities. When users are unsure what AI is doing, where it’s operating, or how it works, it can undermine the hard-earned trust Morningstar is known for.

A cohesive identity for AI starts with a single unifying mark. Recalling the circular form of the letter O from the Morningstar logotype, the AI mark is reinterpreted as a starburst, which feels both uniquely Morningstar and acknowledges familiar visual cues within the AI industry. Concentric spokes are offset and radiate with a soft polychromatic glow from the center.

Clear and consistent naming for AI tools establishes immediate understanding and helps users navigate them more easily across different products. Existing tools are organized into distinct assistant and feature layers, leaving room for new ones to be added over time.

For users to feel comfortable interacting with AI, its presence must be visibly distinct and behaviorally predictable. The mark is used to indicate all instances where AI is present or has generated content, while gradients and light effects emphasize and elevate those moments. Together, they serve as an overlay to the existing design system.