THE MUSE
EXPERIENCE THE QUIRKINESS OF MODERN ART
THE MUSE is an art museum in Detroit, Michigan. The collection consists of modern art by women artists and a rotating gallery for local Detroit artists. Around 5% of the work featured in major permanent collections worldwide is by women. Women are highly underrepresented in the art world. THE MUSE gives women artists a voice. The location of the museum is also essential. A revival of Detroit is on the horizon, and people need to have a reason to visit Detroit. Many artists have stayed in Detroit and tried to revive the once great city through their creativity. THE MUSE gives Detroiters a chance to share their work.
the name
about the muse
THE BRAND
The name “THE MUSE� was chosen for two reasons. One is that it is the root of the word museum. Second, it also relates back to Greek mythology and the Nine Muses. The Nine Muses were the goddesses who provided the inspiration for literature and the arts.
branding concept
audience
THE MUSE is for women, men, locals, and international visitors alike, who want to experience a nontraditional museum experience focused on the quirkiness of modern art. The permanent collection is female artists, but the museum is not just relevant to women, and anyone is welcome. The rotating gallery of local artists is to attract locals and those who would like to discover the current art scene in Detroit.
Quirkiness and fun are the main objectives of this brand. The experience at the museum is unique and that is translated into the offbeat branding. The museum experience is unique because it brings forth the lesser known works by female artists. The brand also emphasizes the quirkiness of modern art, because that is what many people love about it. The attraction of modern art is looking at artwork in a style that pushes boundaries and defies tradition.
examples
The inspiration for the branding was taken from colorful, offbeat posters and logos. A lot of the inspiration has bold colors, and nontraditional approaches to typography and layout. A lot of the inspiration also had geometric shapes and patterns with overlapping colors.
INSPIRATION
concept
LOGO For the initial concept, the logo was intended to capture the modern, edgy, and quirky aspect of the brand, so the focus was on geometric shapes and unique type treatments. The idea of emphasizing the feminine aspect was also explored but did not want to isolate the brand to a purely female audience, so it was decided against.
digital
The digital logo sketches consist of geometric shapes. A geometric pair of lips was attempted, but the feminine interpretation was not used. Unique treatments of type were also used.
LOGO
final
LOGO
This is the final logo, which consists of four triangles. The triangle is used because the triangle is the strongest shape due to the fact that any added force is equally distributed on all three sides. It retains it shape, and does not distort because of its fixed angles. Triangles are present in architecture(think of trusses in buildings and houses or the pyramids!) The triangles in this logo represent the strength of the great women artists represented in THE MUSE. And as a collective group, they represent a solid foundation for women in the art world.
THE MUSE experience the quirkiness of modern art
black and white
THE MUSE experience the quirkiness of modern art
color
color
LOGO The colors chosen are intended to give the modern, fun and vibrant feel that the brand represents. The diversity in color from triangle to triangle represents the diversity of the artists and styles showcased in the museum. The color logo should be used majority of the time, except in situations where a simplified black and white version needs to be used.
CMYK 42 28 7 0 RGB 148 167 201 HEX 94a7c9
CMYK 1 87 49 0 RGB 235 72 98 HEX eb4862
CMYK 1 13 71 0 RGB 255 217 102 HEX ffd966
CMYK 65 0 28 0 RGB 66 192 194 HEX 42c0c2
primary
Aa Bb Cc Dd Ee Ff Gg Hh Ii Jj Kk Ll Mm Nn Oo Pp Qq Rr Ss Tt Uu Vv Ww Xx Yy Zz
bebas neue secondary
Abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
typefaces
REX BOLD
The primary typeface used is Rex Bold, which has geometric angles, and the uppercase version has triangle cutouts. This matches the triangles in the logo and creates a nontraditional look. The secondary typeface, which is used in the tagline, is Bebas Neue. Bebas Neue is a modern, simplistic sans serif type that counteracts the complexity of the primary typeface.
BUSINESS CARDS
STATIONARY The business cards take on the triangle shape from the logo. Each color of the logo is printed, allowing the business cards to be arranged into the shape of the logo.
letterhead and envelope
The letterhead design has the logo deconstructed on the front side, and a pattern of the logo on the back. The envelope has the logo repeated, and the logo is repeated in a pattern on the inside.
STATIONARY
advertisements
COLLATERAL The advertisements should be used on a half page of a magazine. The ads depict artists that are featured in the permanent collection of the museum. Each ad has a quote from the artist that is inspirational or is related to female artists in the art world. They are intended to attract an audience that wants to see the work of the inspirational women featured in the ads.
poster
COLLATERAL The poster design includes paintings from the collection in a geometric and triangular design. The colors from the logo are utilized and overlaid on parts of the paintings. These posters will be sold in the gift shop for visitors to the museum.
billboard
The billboard design takes from the same concept of the poster design, it uses geometric slices of paintings featured in the museum. It is layered over the logo to provide the connection between the triangles.
COLLATERAL
tote bags
The tote bags are similar to the advertisements, and feature some of the inspirational quotes from the artists in the museum, along with their images overlaid in the colors of the logo.
COLLATERAL
sketchbook
The gift shop will also sell a sketchbook with the logo printed on the front. This provides visitors an opportunity to draw as they tour the museum. It also serves as a reminder to return to the museum.
COLLATERAL
gift shop bag
COLLATERAL These bags will be used for items purchased in the gift shop. They feature designs similar to the poster and advertisement designs, and they provide another collectable for museum visitors.
THE MUSE experience the quirkiness of modern art
Krista Langehennig VIST 403 Spring 2015