Most AI assistants look the same.

They have soft gradients, glowing blobs, abstract waveforms and floating shapes meant to feel “futuristic.”

So Notion went in the opposite direction. When they introduced their AI assistant, they stayed true to what already made Notion recognizable.

Notion’s AI assistant was branded and animated by Buck, and instead of using typical AI visuals, they created a character called Nosey. It’s made using just 3 elements - eyes, eyebrows and a nose.

The character reacts to user actions inside the product. It looks around, responds and shifts expressions based on what’s happening on screen. It feels alive, but is still so simple.

Instead of treating AI as a separate product, Notion integrated it directly into their existing visual language. Their brand is already known for its black-and-white palette, hand-drawn illustrations and editorial feel.

Nosey extends that same system into motion. The animations were created using traditional cell animation techniques. That’s why it feels handmade. Even when it moves, it doesn’t feel automated.

By giving the assistant a character with subtle expressions, Notion makes interactions feel lighter and more approachable. From a usability perspective, the animations also act as feedback. Users can sense when the AI is thinking, responding, or waiting, without extra text. This reduces friction and makes the experience feel smoother.

There’s also a technical layer here. The character is built to animate smoothly between expressions based on unpredictable user input, while still loading quickly inside the product. That balance between performance and personality is hard to achieve.