aran labs

A design-led AI venture studio.

We pair human creative directors with AI agents to produce work that's fast, distinctive, and built on judgment, not templates.

Speed of AI. Judgment of humans.

what we build work with us

two practices, one discipline

We build ventures and we work with organizations. Both practices share the same discipline: creative strategy, a strong point of view, and attention to detail.

ventures + products

We originate ideas, design them, build them, and take them to market. The barrier between "I design" and "I build" has collapsed, and we're proving it.

This work spans brand and product design, internal tools, client tools, and products we intend to scale as businesses. Ventures are built with intent and released into real conditions, not treated as speculative exercises.

Every product starts as something we need. That's the filter.

  • Venture creation
  • Product and platform design
  • Internal + client tooling
  • Research and applied experimentation
Editorial photograph with motion blur, figure in flowing garment against blue sky

services

We collaborate with organizations on focused, design-led engagements.

This includes the development of brand and identity systems, digital products, and custom AI tools built for specific workflows. Every engagement is senior-led and deliberately scoped, favoring clarity and longevity over volume.

The aim is to leave behind systems that continue to work after the engagement ends.

  • Brand and identity
  • Product and UX
  • Custom AI systems
work with us
Editorial photograph with motion blur, two figures walking against twilight sky

the studio

Aran Labs is led by Ciaran Moore, a creative director who has spent a decade working across design, technology, and emerging systems. Previous roles include creative director at Vana, where he shaped product and brand for AI data sovereignty, and art direction at Gitcoin. He was a close collaborator of electronic musician SOPHIE, and was recognized by IDEO while studying at the Royal College of Art.

The studio grew from a straightforward conviction: when AI makes creative production abundant, the scarce resource shifts to taste. The ability to decide what matters, what to keep, and what to cut. Aran Labs exists to apply that judgment at speed.

The studio is intentionally small. Ciaran leads creative direction. Every project is hands-on.

Read more about the studio Follow Ciaran's writing on Substack

from the studio

SEO + GEO What Is Creative Sovereignty? When AI makes creative production abundant, who decides what matters? read post AI & Design Human-Led AI Creative Teams Designers used to spend 80% executing and 20% directing. That ratio has flipped. coming soon Creative Direction Why Creative Directors Matter More in the Age of AI The role is not shrinking. It is becoming the most valuable position in the room. coming soon
read more on the blog

frequently asked questions

What is Aran Labs?
Aran Labs is a design-led AI venture studio. We build original ventures and work with organizations on focused, design-led engagements, combining human creative direction with AI execution.
What does "design-led AI venture studio" mean?
We originate, design, and launch products through our venture practice, and collaborate with organizations on brand, product, and custom AI projects through our services practice. Both are driven by human taste and judgment, with AI handling execution at speed.
Who founded Aran Labs?
Aran Labs was founded by Ciaran Moore, a creative director with a decade of experience across design, technology, and emerging systems. Previous roles include creative director at Vana (AI data sovereignty) and art direction at Gitcoin. He was a close collaborator of electronic musician SOPHIE, and was recognized by IDEO while studying at the Royal College of Art.
What is creative sovereignty?
Creative sovereignty is the principle that human taste, judgment, and creative direction should guide AI-generated output, not the other way around. As AI makes creative production abundant, the scarce resource shifts from execution capacity to curatorial authority: the ability to decide "this, not that."
How does Aran Labs use AI?
We pair human creative directors with AI agents. Humans provide taste, vision, and judgment. AI handles execution, variation generation, and production at speed. Harvard Business School research (Hosanagar & Ahn, 2024) confirms that human creative input prevents the homogenization that AI-only workflows produce.
What services does Aran Labs offer?
We offer brand and identity design, product and UX design, and custom AI systems built for specific workflows. Engagements are senior-led, deliberately scoped, and designed to leave behind systems that keep working after the engagement ends.
What makes Aran Labs different from other design studios?
Two things. First, we build our own ventures alongside client work, so our methods are tested in real conditions, not theoretical. Second, we treat taste as the primary asset, not AI tools. Most AI-generated creative output converges on the statistical mean. Human judgment is what produces work that's distinctive.

taste is the scarce resource.

work with us hello@aranlabs.com