Comet

Editorial New is the primary typeface used by Comet, the new browser by Perplexity. The logo is based on FK Grotesk, which is also used on the landing page together with FK Display and Berkeley Mono.

From Studio Freight’s case study:

With an AI-powered answer engine that delivers concise, cited responses instead of endless, paid-for links, Perplexity was already disrupting how we find information. When they approached us to help launch Comet, they were looking to go even further with a complete browser experience.

But the product was still in the conceptual stages. No demo. No feature list. No wireframes. Just a vision of more accessible knowledge with more reliable references. The challenge wasn’t explaining a product but capturing a possibility.

We worked closely with Henry Modisett and Phi Hoang, the Heads of Design and Brand Experience, to define the direction through shared references and mutual trust. The collaborative process felt less like following a roadmap and more like stargazing — exploring possibilities until patterns emerged.

We took a simple idea seriously as the visual language developed naturally around cosmic themes. Planets became vessels for showcasing potential features. Parabolic lines, inspired by orbital paths, created paths for motion throughout the system and distinguished Comet’s identity from the parent brand. Typography came alive with variable weights that expand on hover, inviting curiosity and suggesting deeper discovery with each interaction.

The website’s visual journey moves from space to Earth – bringing anywhere to here. We start among stars then descend groundward as users scroll. The announcement video reverses this path, lifting viewers from familiar surroundings toward cosmic possibility before landing on the call to action. Together they form a perfect loop: explore the site, watch the video, then continue where you left off.

AI-generated imagery, created in Perplexity’s distinctive style, forms the backdrop while archival footage grounds the experience. Grainy images of industry, nature, and humanity connect the ephemeral to the tangible, speaking to real-world applications. The logo animation opens like a book to a new page, revealing the product as if turning to an unwritten chapter.

Comet is newly launched and will continue evolving. But the foundation is set — a gateway to a browsing experience that feels less like searching and more like discovering.