Brand Redesign Sarah Haralambous
Table of Contents
S01
Introduction
S02 Research 04. Observations 05.
Assessment
06. Visual Audit
08. Brand Analysis
09. Target Audience
S03
Design Development 12. Mind Mapping
14. Concept & Strategy 15. Symbol Ideation 16. 17.
Type Ideation
Logotype Development
18. Final Logotype
20. Color Development 22. Color Story 23.
Final Color Palette
S04
Application 26.
Monumental Signage
28.
Banners
34.
Transportation
30. Off-Site Wayfinding 40. Uniform
44. Informational 46. 48.
User Interface
Merchandise
“ These are the things that noir dreams are made of. ”
- Lee Earle “James” Ellroy, crime fiction author
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 1 // 50
SECTION 01
Introduction The Los Angeles Police Historical Society’s new identity will attract a wider audience while maintaining its relationship with its current and loyal members. This design direction provides a broader range of experiences and educational purposes for guests and the youth, while maintaining it’s core values of honor, unity, and pride. Currently, the LAPHS contains collections of diverse artifacts and publications of the history of the LAPD, housed in a former police station in Highland Park. Re-branding the LAPHS as a “mobile” program will move the brand across wider reaches, becoming more diverse and fluid. The goal of this process is to create a stronger, more approachable identity for the LAPHS. Creating a fresh cohesive design will create a more recognizable brand to increase and broaden their demographic. The main target audience will be children and schools, which will introduce the new aspect of a mobile museum and an education that is brought directly to the targeted audiences.
INTRODUCTION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 3 // 50
SECTION 02
Research 04. 05. 06. 08. 09.
Observations Assessment Visual Audit Brand Analysis Target Audience
Although the address is Los Angeles, the museum is actually located in Highland Park. Built in 1926, this two story-brick Renaissance Revival building is the oldest surviving police station in Los Angeles. The location moved in 1983 when the LAPD relocated to a new site. The vacant station was threatened with demolition, but the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission declared the building a Historic Cultural Monument in 1984. Two months later, it was also added to the National Register of Historic Places and is the only precinct police station in California listed on the National Register.
This research has been culminated through numerous visits to the LAPHS and through their online databases.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 4 // 50
Observations My personal observations of the Los Angeles Police Museum and Historical Society seems to gear mostly towards the fact that they are extremely lacking when it comes to technology, design and word-spread. All resources used are very out-dated, overcrowded and difficult to navigate. There have been some attempts at updating, but have not been pushed far enough to be successful. However, the pride in the community connected never fails to overcome these obstacles.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 5 // 50
Assessment The mission of the LAPHS is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret the history of the LAPD. Their aim is purely informative and educational, guiding the public to gain more knowledge and to contain it’s history through artifacts. The public perception of the LAPHS seems to agree with the factor that the museum has to offer, however it seems as though the public is using this site as another force towards the knowledge and understanding of their own experiences with the LAPD.
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 6 // 50
Visual Audit Creating a visual audit allowed for consistent themes for a re-branding direction. Relying on web, print and also physical objects, a design inventory was then created in order to key in the core factors that the LAPHS already represents. Even though the current design choices were not friendliest to the eye, some aspects did stand out: information was straight to the point, bold and proud. The directional and way-finding information within the LAPHS were difficult to read and hard to navigate. Some areas were crowded with artifacts in viewing rooms that had very limited space, and some areas were extremely open and scarce. This created an extremely unbalanced layout, which at times were confusing. Based on my assessment, a serif typeface should be used to keep a tie to the historical aspects of the museum, while a sans-serif typeface should be used to represent the boldness and clarity of the LAPD. Creating a new symbol is also necessary. The LAPHS currently uses their phrase “Behind The Badge, The LAPD Experience� as part of their symbol. A fresh symbol that works cohesively with the typography would allow the audience to recognize and relate to the LAPHS in a friendlier manner.
These resources were provided by visits to the LAPHS and through their online databases such as websites.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 7 // 50
RESEARCH
RESEARCH
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 8 // 50
Brand Analysis STRENGTHS The current audience can relate with exhibits since most of the individuals who visit the LAPHS have ties to the LAPD (such as family members or loved ones) or general ties to law enforcement. This aspect allows closer bonds and ties shared with visitors where story sharing is commended, creating a community that almost represents a family. The LAPHS is also classed as a historical site, which aids visitors and tourists to visit.
WEAKNESSES The current brand design has not been updated since the LAPHS was established. This includes website, logo and promotional merchandising. This approach is less likely to draw in new visitors as it is outdated, hard to navigate and difficult to view. Through research, visitors and audiences have complained that the updates on programs and social media were not accurate and not done often enough (or in time). Since the building was a former police station, the current layout for the artifacts and viewing rooms provide very limited space, and is extremely hard to navigate. The community experience only branches as far as current audiences who already have ties with law enforcement. This creates a difficult reach, and does not allow for a variety of individuals or programs.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 9 // 50
Target Audience CURRENT AUDIENCE The current demographic for the LAPHS are individuals who are either already involved within the law enforcement, or individuals who have history or family ties to the LAPD. This has both positive advantages, and also negative impact. Due to the fact that regular visitors already have ties to law enforcement, this creates a biased and more narrow variety of individuals. However, community based experiences are much more rewarding.
INTENDED AUDIENCE This design direction targets both the youth within the community and also the general public, allowing for both to become more educated with the LAPD and it’s history. Having the youth and schools as the main target audience will allow for more of an educational standpoint of both the LAPHS and the LAPD. The intended direction will also bring resources, education and knowledge physically to schools and educational groups that will broaden and expand the visitors that the LAPHS will draw. This will mainly be done through transportation, UI and informational experiences.
The intended target audiences are focused on children and educational groups in order to expand knowledge.
RESEARCH
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 11 // 50
SECTION 03
Design Development 12. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 20. 22. 23.
Mind Mapping Concept & Strategy Symbol Ideation Type Ideation Logotype Development Final Logotype Color Development Color Story Final Color Palette
The process of re-branding the Los Angeles Police Historical Society star ted with creating multiple mind maps in order to understand what the overall look and feel of the brand should represent. From there branched very significant keywords that drove all following design direction. These keywords are shown and also represented throughout the type, logotype and development. The next steps included sketching many different potential logotypes & typeface combinations, this lead to a tighter, cleaner, digital proof.
This stage contains key aspects that visually play a continuous role throughout all development processes.
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 12 // 50
Mind Mapping Connecting information and keywords around a central subject was very significant to the process of this redesign. In order to gain common ground on what is most important to the brand itself, these mind maps allow thought and information to expressively branch through to find order of importance.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 13 // 50
Mind mapping is a crucial way to explore relevant pieces of information and significant keywords.
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 14 // 50
Concept & Strategy The process of re-branding the Los Angeles Police Historical Society was started by creating a magnitude of sketches, ranging from symbol ideation to physical sketching of the logotype development. Creating multiple sketches of all the concepts allowed for an understanding of what the overall look and feel of the brand should represent. Using the keywords acquired by various mind maps, these ideations and developments were put forth. After the initial sketches of logotypes and typeface combinations, a digital rearrangement of both concepts were brought into play. This is where all refinements, spacing and overall cleanliness to the aspects were made. The final aspect was to consider an appropriate, yet still intriguing set of color palettes that would effectively represent the Los Angeles Police Historical Society as a unified brand.
From visualization lead forth sketches, and finally a clean digital output of all aspects of the brand.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 15 // 50
Symbol Ideation
Crest ideations for the new LAPHS symbol
Line ideations for the new LAPHS symbol
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 16 // 50
Type Ideation
Los Angeles Police Historical Society Avenir Next, sentence case
LOS ANGELES POLICE HISTORICAL SOCIETY Garamond bold, all caps
Los Angeles Police Historical Society Adobe Caslon Pro bold, sentence case
LOS ANGELES
POLICE HISTORICAL SOCIET Y Garamond bold, all caps
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 17 // 50
Logotype Development
Logotype variation sketches
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 18 // 50
Final Solution Interstate is used on the upper portion of the logotype, and is a sans serif typeface that was designed by Tobias Frere-Jones and released through Font Bureau in 1993. It works well for signage due to its clear legibility at a distance and clearly-differentiated letter-forms. Garamond is used as the secondary type, on the lower portion of the logotype. This typeface was chosen due its significant history and uses.
INTERSTATE / BOLD
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 GARAMOND / BOLD
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 Interstate is to be primarily used for headers, while Garamond is to be used for larger fields of body copy.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 19 // 50
The symbol and logotype are not unified. Instead, the symbol acts as the main attraction of the two.
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 20 // 50
Color Development PALETTE 1
PALETTE 2
PALETTE 3
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 21 // 50
PALETTE 1 This first attempt at creating a cohesive color palette pulled directly from a combination of many historical landmarks and existing brands. Cool neutrals naturally represented the historical side of the LAPHS, while darker tones represented the boldness and passion of the LAPD.
PALETTE 2 The second round of color treatment was an attempt to find a pop of hot color in a mix of cooler neutrals. The cool neutrals are inviting and reflective of the rich history that can be found in the LAPD, while the brighter color pops allow a fresher, more updated intake.
PALETTE 3 Further attempts to refine the color palette into a cohesive unit lead me to a much less saturated and calming approach. Much like palette 1, cool neutrals are once more a representative of the historical side of the LAPHS. This direction was necessary to create a more inviting feel, straying away from harsh black and gray tones.
These color palettes were accumulated by focusing on the key design attributes and keywords.
DESIGN DEV.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 22 // 50
Color Story COLOR MOOD BOARD
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 23 // 50
Final Color Palette PRIMARY COLOR PALETTE HEX CODE #3b4f6b CMYK 82, 63, 39, 24 RGB 59, 79, 107 534 C HEX CODE #919191
The final color palette is a mixture between palette’s 1 and 3. Using two cool and neutral tones allow the historical side of the LAPHS to come through, while a classic blue and a fresher, brighter pop of color speaks towards the LAPD.
CMYK 44, 34, 34, 14
877 C
RGB 145, 145, 145
HEX CODE #a6cfd9 CMYK 39, 7, 15, 0
543 C
RGB 166, 207, 217
HEX CODE #ededf0 CMYK 8, 6, 5, 0
COOL GRAY 1 C
RGB 237, 237, 240
534 C and 877 C are intended as primary colors, while 543 C and 1 C are secondary pops of color.
DESIGN DEV.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 25 // 50
SECTION 04
Application 26. 28. 30. 34. 40. 44. 46. 48.
Monumental Signage Banners Off-Site Wayfinding Transportation Uniform Informational User Interface Merchandise
The choice to change the Los Angeles Police Historical Society into a mobile museum allowed for the original building establishment to become a site for all office and corporate uses. The community will still be able to visit the office region to discuss school bookings, future events and to also make donations. Once the final logotype, symbol and color palettes were finalized and designed, the next step was to create a cohesive and comprehensive application of all brand identity and usage. This includes all aspects that the brand would be recognized by, this includes signage, way-finding, directional, and all uniform and transportation requirements for the brand identity. All these pieces of information must be unified, and are done so by preserving the main and key significant findings throughout the rebrand process.
This stage consists of all digital and physical applications of the LAPHS’ brand identity.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 26 // 50
Monumental Signage The monumental signage will house within the grounds of the LAPHS office sector. Due to the change from a static museum to a mobile one, all signage in these sectors will be for corporate use.
This direction is achieved within grayscale standards, separating static from mobile. All colors within the corporate unit of the Los Angeles Police Historical Society should remain in gray tones.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 27 // 50
Metals are used for the monumental signage, signifying that the LAPHS is a grounded community.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 28 // 50
Banners
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 29 // 50
Banners around the LAPHS office site will
consist of historical images of the L APD, including photography of cases and officers
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 30 // 50
Off-Site Wayfinding This directional off-site wayfinding system will allow for an easier navigational guide when the mobile museum is visiting a site. All canopies come with detachable areas for simple set-up, and all areas are numbered so that participants are able to follow a guided numbering system.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 31 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 32 // 50
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 33 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 34 // 50
Transportation All transportation to and from the Los Angeles Police Historical Society’s corporate location are designed to efficiently transport all artefacts, canopies and volunteers to the off-site learning location. Depending on the district, the amount of volunteers can rage from a minimum of 5 to a maximum of 15 volunteers per learning location.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 35 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 36 // 50
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 37 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 38 // 50
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 39 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 40 // 50
Uniform All volunteers are required to purchase a uniform while visiting off-site locations. This is to ensure safety and unity within the company, which will also allow all participants to easily locate a volunteer when needed. All volunteers must show a picture ID badge before entering and leaving a location.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 41 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 42 // 50
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 43 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 44 // 50
Informational All informational pieces of this design direction aim towards broadening the public’s knowledge on the resources, education and advantages that the Los Angeles Police Historical Society could potentially bring by participating with the LAPHS’ educational programs and visits.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 45 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 46 // 50
User Interface
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 47 // 50
Metals are used for the monumental signage, signifying that the LAPHS is a grounded community.
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 48 // 50
Merchandise Merchandising will be sold on location or through the Los Angeles Police Historical Society’s website. Participants of the Educational Program that the LAPHS provides will be given free tote-bags or backpacks to store all the information collected during the activities provided on-site.
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 49 // 50
APPLICATION
APPLICATION
The Los Angeles Police Historical Society 50 // 50