The Museum of Bad Art Brand Guidelines by Lydia Sutton

disclaimer

the museum of bad art brand guidelines disclaimer This book was produced with our (moba, that’s us, The Museum of Bad Art, in case ya don’t know) specific voice and ideologies in mind. Bad art isn’t for everyone, but we ask that you have an open mind as you peruse this short little publication. We love art as much as the next yuppie, and we want to share that with you and anyone else who is open to it. So sit back, grab a bowl of popcorn, and enjoy.

The Museum of Bad Art 55 Davis Square Somerville, MA 02144

(781) - 444 - 6757

table of contents

so what is even in this d mn book?

(the table of contents for you yuppies.)

05 introduction 13

(a little context and the reason you are here.)

about us

(cause we are clearly so interesting.)

29 the bones

(all the tiny pieces of the puzzle.)

45 make it pretty (putting the puzzle together.)

introduction

introduction 05 what’s the point (the purpose of this book.)

09 definitions

(in case you didn’t go to art school.)

introduction

so what’s the point The Smithsonian Institute has launched an initia tive to extend its network to include a group of “alternative” or “novelty” museums. (The people need some fl avor.) To do so, it has put out a request for proposals expressing what each museum might do if chosen and, subsequently, offered appropriate funding. The Museum of Bad art, while in a financial pickle, has decided to hire Lydia Sutton to do a rebrand in order to effectively redo its brand to be included in its RFP submission. Deliverables will include a new brand strategy, design a visual identity system, and a brand book (the thing you are reading right now...duh) to pr e sent to the Smithosonian and beg for money...I mean present the endless possibilities that The Museum of Bad Art has to offer.

introduction

definitions... Logomark: a logo of a company that does not contain the brand name itself—usually a shape or character used to visually represent the company. Wordmark: a type of logo design that includes only the company name — no symbols, mascots, or badges. Lockup: a combination of multiple brand elements that “lock up” to each other, meaning that they are presented as one singular unit with specified spacing and alignment. Logotype: a logo centered around a company name or initials.

introduction

“ 11

“what a

bunch of trash art.

about us

about us 15

overview

vision, values

mission

target market

(in case you want to skip parts.)

(we are really just trying to make ourselves look good here.)

(the reason we wake up in the morning.)

(the people we are gonna try and trick into giving us money.)

23 services, products

(why people are going to want to come and see us.)

25 marketing strategy (the when, where, and how.)

about us

overview

Since 1994, th e museum of Bad Art has been dedicated to showcasing the worst that the art world has to offer. And we mean the worst. Our mission is simply to bring the worst of art to the widest of audiences. Located in the Boston, MA area close to a bunch of yuppie schools like Harvard; MOBA has been a cornerstone of the community. Through traveling exhibits, special events, and changing exhibits, we share the best bad art ever assem b le d in one, two, or t hree art museums.

The collection numbers about 600 pieces but shows 50 to 70 at a time. Each piece is presented with a very special type of descriptive narrative that contributes to the education and interest of our viewers. MOBA is a community based, for the people, institution that is dedicated to the collection, and the preservation, and the exhibition, and celebration of bad art in all its forms and in all of ts glory.

about us

vision MOBA’s vision, in the simplest of terms, and for the dumbest of readers, is to create a community of bad art lovers and aficionados; to bring awareness to bad art, rather than ignoring it. MOBA wants to be perceived as bizarre, as a place for the artwork that is cast out or looked down upon. They want to be known for the weird, the strangeness, the humor, the crassness, the nudity, the technique, (but mainly the nudity.) They want to be known for their differences...to be a home for the bad art, the trash, the rejects of society. Here at MOBA, anyone can find a home, and that is a promise.

values We have none. Just kidding! If you haven’t picked up on it yet MOBA values uniqueness, bizarreness, crudeness, and art in its entirety, rather than just the works deemed important by the higher art community.

we are bizarre we are crude we are unique In our employees and team we value a sense of humor, the ability to work together, and a keen eye for what bad art really is. In our clients we value people who can look beyond the surface. People who aren’t afraid of the nontraditional, and in general people who don’t have sticks up their rears.

www about us

bring

the

worst

of art

to the

widest

of audiences. 19

mission

about us

target market Young adults between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five would be interested in both the crude humor that MOBA is known for, and to study work that has been rejected by society. Younger audiences are attracted to things that are unconventional or against the norm and using those principles MOBA could attract a very large audience. MOBA could also target artistic individuals, students, and people with an interest in the art world using their message of promoting art that is intentional but “bad” by societies standards. There is still much to learn about methods of making art and how it is perceived, and the question of the unknown could be appealing toindividuals who have studied art but not in this context. Basically, our target market are young artists and art lovers who have been rejected by society in a similar way as our own art.

about us

services erience exp

If you want to be serviced, go to a restaurant. MOBA offers an in teractive and entert aining experience that draws attention to bizarre “bad” art. We hope to give customers an opportunity to take pictures with the exhibits, make fun of the artwork, study it and its potential meaning, as well as give them the chance to create their own bad art. (Just so we have something else to laugh at.)

products MOBA will provide a variety of products in the gift store and online, varying but not limited to art supplies, clothing, pens, pencils, bags, umbrellas, posters, prints, calendars, coffee mugs, etc. You want it, we got it. Unless we don’t have it, in which case better luck somewhere else.

All MOBA products will have the proper branding, outlined later on in this book, and evoke the same emotions as a customer would feel walking into our museum; excitement, wonder, and more.

about us

marketing strategy The main marketing strategy that MOBA will employ is the use of negative reviews and comments and highlight those to create a sense of curiosity among customers and to add onto the sarcastic nature of the museum. Nothing says “up yours” like using the bad reviews people leave to market ourselves. We will also begin to charge an entry fee to access the musems exhibits, but the gift shop will be free to enter and explore. We will also partner with local libraries, schools, and various other places. We will also have a much larger social media presence as we will be offering giveaways and other merch via social media to customers who tag us in their posts.

about us

“they decided

to put some junk on the wall and call it a museum.“

the bones

the bones 31

overview

(skip this part, it gets boring.)

33 the boring stuff

(brand architecture, brand attributes, and brand strategy...told you...boring.)

35 positioning

(a good position will solve a majority of your problems, trust us.)

37 essence

(sounds magical doesn’t it.)

39 the big idea

(here’s something to look forward to.)

words to use

(key messaging, voice, and tone. because even we can’t say anything.)

the bones

overview MOBA’s revised brand is a compilation o f their primary logo; the middle finger (yes, a middle finger. Get over it), a series of secondary images, and negative comments and reviews from a lot of unimaginative customers. The imagery will be represented in collage format or in a series of patterns that are sarcastic and friendly. These patterns will appear on a variety of touchpoints, blown up, minimized, and in whatever form best suits the specific touchpoint. We will also be using our logo as a single mark on occasion as well as inside the MOBA in place of the letter “O.”

the bones

brand architecture MOBA is an individual company that is not owned by any other company, nor do they have any subbrands beneath them. It’s just us baby.

bor brand attributes

MOBA is has a unique and hopefully at this point, obvious voice that is represented in all of our branding. From the artwork itself, to descriptions, and any written word. We are very sarcastic, and sometimes almost passive-aggressive in all of our descriptions. Bizar re is the best word that can accurately describe every element of MOBA’s branding. Feel free to judge or leave a bad review, we’ll just send it to marketing.

brand strategy We want to be memorable, unique, and humorous. This proposal will offer a “wow factor” that the museum lacked before and allow all of their successful messaging to be employed in ways that the public will respond to. Have you said wow yet?

ring Part of this new proposal is to use the negative comments as marketing tactics. By using comments by people who do not understand what MOBA is about and not hiding from the bad comments, MOBA will be furthering their position as a sarcastic and crude establishment that our target audience will find humorous. We will also be focusing on making MOBA a “instagramable” experience for visitors to come an interact with. By having photo opportunities and exhibits that appeal to the public’s eye, customers will serve as another form of marketing and advertise for us via their own social media posts. “It is for the gram.”

the bones

competitive advantage We make the claim that we are the only museum dedicated to showcasing bad art in the manner that we do. However, there are other museums in the area that could potentially take away customers from MOBA. There are also other museums in different areas of the country that have oddities or types of artwork that the general public would consider “bad art” that could take away from the unique aspect of MOBA’s branding (copy cats.) However, the only other museums in the area are the yuppies, I mean Harvard Art Museums and the Somerville Museum which is more historic. MOBA is extremely unique in what they have to offer the public and in how they present it.

differentiation In case you missed the memo, MOBA is distinctly different from other museums in the market. In regards to our messaging and the kind of work we are trying to promote, there are no other museums that focus solely on “bad” art. The other yuppie

museums in the area focus primarily on education, information, prestige, or do have an interactive and fun atmosphere but not related to the type of art that MOBA is trying to showcase. With these new standards MOBA could stand alone in its filed and be known for both their unique messaging and their interactive and engaging atmosphere.

br an

os it

nin

value proposition Creating value is the indisputable goal of most organizations. Brand identity, which includes all tangible expression from packaging to websites, upholds that value. Our goal is to create a visual identity that’s consistent through all of MOBA’s touchpoints that is humorous and recognizable. We want the experience our customers partake in to leave an impression (I think we have been pretty successful at that) and we want them to leave with items that are both functional and that will also serve as free marketing/advertising for us. By offering customers with value in the form of an interactive experience and products that they can purchase to remember said experience, we will be creating a fully functional business that serves the community in more ways than one.

the bones

our essence

w a

The essence of MOBA is to represent bad art in a way that is both informative, engaging, and at times, offensive. We also have a tagline seen in all of our marketing touchpoints; art too bad to be ignored. And it’s true, we refuse to be ignored. We describe our art collections as “the work of talented artists that have gone awry to works of exuberant, although crude, execution by artists barely in control of the brush. What they all have in common is a very special quality that sets them apart in one way or a nother from the m erely incompetent.” No matter what we are doing, our aim is to shock and awe.

who are

the bones

the big idea

good bad art

the bones

key messaging One of our key messages is to bring the worst of art to the widest of audiences. Our tagline “art too bad to be ignored” also evokes that same message. We want to make the public aware of all art forms, not just the kind that gets hung in a fancy museum. Another common phrase used by the media to describe us is “so bad it’s good.” Other messages include gorgeous freak accident of nature, pointless pointillism, canvas catastrophes, bad art bonanza, and more.

41 02

voice & tone Us? Tone? Never. If MOBA does anything well it’s attitude. MOBA has a very unique and obvious voice that is represented in all of their branding. From the a rtwork its e lf, to de scriptions, and any written word. We can be a wee bit sarcastic, occasionally crack a dirty joke, and have be en known for the rare passive-aggressive description. We want everything our brand touches to carry the same voice and feel; something that will catch view ers by surprise and engage them past the point of a dull and uninterested glance.

the bones

“b ad a r t bonanza.“ 43

make it pretty

make it pretty 47 logo system (the ins and outs of a bird.)

63 visual ssets

(take a picture, it’ll last longer.)

79 going online

(the web. that’s it, what else is there to say about a website.)

83 in action

(the part you really want to see.)

make it pretty

g l

make it pretty

overview Our logo...how to describe our logo. Our logo is a representation of us, of what we stand for and how we want to be perceived. We do not care about ruffling feathers or what people may think of our bad art. We simply want to show the world what art can be, and sometimes art is offensive, sometimes it is confusing. Our logo is bold, it is offensive, humorous, entertaining, eye-catching, all of the things we want our brand and our art to be. And in case you missed it...our logo is a middle finger.

terminology

logo mark logo

logo mark

museum of bad art wordmark

logo

make it pretty

logo variations This is the official version of our logo, properly named F-YOU

We wanted to create a memorable symbol that properly portrays our tone and aesthetic. We are bold, we are in your face, and we are never scared to tell the world wha t our museum is about. The middle finger achieves this, but the smile is what makes it approachable, friendly, and creative.

This is the secondary version of our logo, properly named F-YOU2

Black and white are the main colors that our l o g o w ill a pp ea r in. F-YOU2 is just as bold, but can still be seen on darker backgrounds and gives our logo system more versatility.

make it pretty

logo variations This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Bloody-Mary

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Purple-Haze

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Piss-Poor

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Old-Navy

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Blue-Balls

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Blues-Clues

This is one of the tertiary logos, properly named Devils-Lettuce

make it pretty

names and application

the little “o” This variation of the logo replaces the letter “o” with our middle finger mark. It is to be used as the primary logo when the middle finger icon is not used by itself.

museum of bad art the yuppie This variation of the logo is to be used in more professional settings where the museum name needs to be seen in its entirety.

make it pretty

clear space

The logo needs room to breathe, meaning we need to have clear space around our logo so that it does not feel crowded. The space around the logo should be the same as the width of the middle finger.

minimum size

For print

The minimum size for the logo for print should be no smaller than 30 mm.

30 mm

For web

120 px

The minimum size for the logo for web should be no smaller than 120 px.

make it pretty

big no no’s While we are all for testing limits and breaking rules, there are a few rules that we must follow so that we maintain the integrity and overall aesthetic of our brand. There is to be no skewing, rotating, distorting, or altering the logo in anyway. Changing the color scheme is also a big fat no. Adding elements is a no. Taking away elements is a no. Adding elements is... guess what, a no. Here are some examples of what not to do. a. do not distory or squeeze the logo. It is not a lemon. b. do not change the colors of the logo. We picked our colors with intention. Trust us.

c. do no t add anything to the logo. That thing looks creepy. d. no outline. Just don’t. e. do not add any text that is not supposed to be there. f. do not apply the logo to a back gro und color that is similar to the color of the logo.

museum of bad art

make it pretty

proper use So what is the right way to flip people off? Glad you asked. Our logomark is to be only seen in black and white, unless it is within a pattern on a touchpoint. Any type that appears must be in lowercase letters as well. The middle finger logo is always to be illustrated with the thumb on the right side. The primary colors are not to be used with any other colors.

All lowercase letters, lines are within the lines of the palm.

museum of bad art

ascender lines up with ring and pointer finger.

vis ual make it pretty

make it pretty

overview Type, color, pattern. All things that when brought together create the MOBA brand. Our brand is categorized by its unique and sarcastic nature and we want our visual assets to represent that. Our typeface is Co Headline, implemented in several weights. We were drawn to the perfect circles, the imperfections, and the approachability of this typeface. This is the only typeface we will be using as well. We are trying to avoid being overly professional. We want to break the standards and present ourselves as simply and authentically as possible, and keeping Co Headline as the sole typeface will help encourage that message.

Color. Boy do we have color. Again, we want to avoid the standard color scheme and professionalism that most art museums possess. By having a wide variety of colors paired with our black and white logo, we feel that we will grab the attention of more people and further set ourselves apart.

We also have a series of secondary images that when paired with our color logo variations create an endless amount of patterns that can be used on touchpoints, as visual markers, the museum decor, and so much more. It broadens the scope of our visual identity ten-fold.

make it pretty

typography Co Headline Regular CAPITAL

lowercase

a b c d e f g h ijklmn o p q r s t u v w x y z

numerals

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

symbols

! @ # & ( ) ? / . ,

Characteristics Fun Playful Rounded

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRSTUVWX Y Z

Co Headline Regular is our primary typeface because of how well it parallels with our logo. The perfect circles, the flare and personality, all elements that are representative of our logo and our aes the tic. We chose a more inform al ty peface to reflect the informal nature of our museum. This weight will be used for body copy and subtitles.

Co Headline Bold CAPITAL

lowercase

ABCDEFGHIJKLMN OPQRST U VWX Y Z a b c d e f g h ijklmn o p q r s t u v w x y z

numerals

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

symbols

! @ # & ( ) ? / . ,

Characteristics Fun Bold San-Serif

Co Headline Bold is the typeface we use in the litte “o” variation of our logo where the middle finger replaces the o. The bold weight of this typeface stands out, is visually similar to our logo mark, and retains the unprofessional vibe that we are going for. This weight will be used for headlines and quotes.

make it pretty

primary colors The primary color palette is made up of white and black and will be used primarily for the logo and logomark. The other colors will be used to create the patterns or inside the museum and on various touchpoints.

Black Pantone Black Hex #000000 CMYK 0 0 0 100

White Pantone White Hex #FFFFFF CMYK 0 0 0 0

secondary colors

Copper Green Pantone 7473 C Hex #4FADA4 CMYK 68 11 40 0

Taupe Gray Pantone 7653 C HEX #91828F CMYK 46 47 33 3

Kobi Pink Pantone 672 C Hex #DEA2C9 CMYK 9 42 0 0

Middle Green Pantone 7730 C HeX #4AA35C CMYK 73 13 85 1

Sage Pantone 577 C HEX #ABC680 CMYK 36 8 64 0

Space Cadet Pantone 548 C Hex #12384F CMYK 96 73 46 40

Beer Orange Pantone 144 C Hex #F08A12 CMYK 3 55 100 0

Naples Yellow Pantone 120 C Hex #F0D760 CMYK 7 11 75 0

International Orange Pantone 7597 C HEX #C03D2E CMYK 18 90 93 7

make it pretty

patterns Our pattern is made up of our middle finger logo and the color variations of it, our eye icon t ha t references our Aye Aye Aye exhibit, a flower icon that references the painting “Lucy in the Sky with Flowers”, which is the piece that kick-started MOBA. We also have a trash icon, because...duh. We get a lot of our work from the trash and the critics are going to call us that anyway. Might as well beat them to the punch. All of these elements can be combined and overlapped to create patterns for our brand.

make it pretty

overview We want our website and any digital touchpoints to be just as fun and engaging as our museum itself. Our pattern will appear on our website in various locations as moments of interest. We want our website to be bold and simple, easily navigable, and interactive for users. By utlizing clear space we want to e voke a modern and bold tone that pushes us forward past the other museums in the industry. Lowercase letters should be used in everything except for body copy. We want the web to be legible but we also need to maintain our current levels of anti-professionalism in order to ward off any stiffs. Our website will feature a gift shop, a detailed list of our collections and exhibits, a brief history of our museum, customer reviews (good and bad of course), a page to acknowledge our donors, and a FAQ page to answer any and all questions our customers may have.

web grid

The grid acts as a support system for organizing content and applying information. It helps keep consistency and simplicity throughout the emtire interface. Designers use website grids to make design decisions and create a good user experience.

Clear

Clear Clear

Clear

make it pretty

type hierarchy

headline sub headline Body copy is Co Headline Regular. Typically this appears in 10 pt font with 15 leading. Headline is Co Headline Bold. It is typically 25 pt font in all lowercase. Sub headline is Co headline regular, set at 14 pt. Our subheaders will also be in all lowercase letters. Still with us? Trust us it is going to be important later on.

type structure

Cap height X height

Art too Letter-spacing

Ascender Baseline

Descender

bad to be ignored.

Leading

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see it in action

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art

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art too bad to be ignored

contact

in case you want to reach the designer... if not skip this page.

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Lydia Sutton graphic designer

+1-803-504-7352 sutton2401@gmail.com www.lrsdesigns.myportfolio.com/work

Printed by Anderson University Printing Center Anderson, SC

now f ck off

The Museum of Bad Art Brand Guidelines Designed by Lydia Sutton 2022