northpole

IBM Research asked us to design the hardware enclosure for NorthPole, a next generation AI chip engineered for large language model inference with unprecedented efficiency. The brief was clear: the physical form should embody the radical shift in architecture happening inside.

AI is often invisible, existing as code and computation, but NorthPole offered an opportunity to make it tangible. Our design approach treated the enclosure as more than protection for the chip. It became a tool for communicating IBM’s thinking: a precise, purposeful object that signals intelligence and trust.

We examined every interaction point, from the way light plays on the surface to the feeling of the touchpoints in the hand. Materials and finishes were selected for their tactility and durability, bringing clarity and control to the experience of handling the hardware.

Thermal management was central. We worked closely with IBM’s engineers to shape airflow paths that optimise cooling while maintaining visual simplicity. The result is a form that supports performance without feeling over-engineered, balancing technical necessity and design subtlety

NorthPole’s enclosure introduces a design language for AI hardware that feels both efficient and human. It frames IBM’s research in a way people can see and touch, offering a glimpse into how the next generation of AI technologies might be understood and trusted in the physical world.