Continuum continues their series Open for Branding, where they are sharing, from start to finish, their latest branding project for the new, nomadic Design Museum Boston. They're asking for your input, so don't hesitate to leave your feedback in the comments below.
Now that we've kicked off the project, where do we begin? If you jump right into design, you could go anywhere—the world of possibility is too big. First, you need to take a step back and establish some parameters.
At Continuum, we develop thematic approaches to do this. By having a conversation around several approaches, we start to set boundaries to focus the creative direction. In this week's post, we're presenting three approaches that we've developed for Design Museum Boston.
Each of the theme boards dials up two of three brand pillars to show how emphasizing different aspects of their identity would translate visually. The themes are expressed using found images, typography, and key words. We also show examples of other museums and analogous brands that have similar styles. This is an integral part of the design process because it allows us to understand what's out there and where this museum fits in—ultimately helping us to craft their voice in the market.
The museum's organizational pillars are to educate, unite, and demonstrate. They aim to educate the public on the role of design, unite the public and the design community, and demonstrate examples of strong design. Our brand pillars are dynamic, smart, and bold. In choosing these pillars, we hit on words that visually express their organizational pillars.
Later this week, we'll share the thematic approaches with museum directors Derek Cascio and Sam Aquillano—engaging in a dialogue around different visual styles and learning what resonates with them. Given the museum's mission, we'd like you to weigh in on which direction you feel is the strongest and which elements you think resonate best. What else would you add?
Through the course of the meeting—coupled with your strategic feedback—we'll hone in on a cohesive approach to take the identity to the next phase of development.
Follow the jump to check out excerpts from our theme boards, and be sure to click on each image to view the full board at a larger size.
(more...)