Our new look
An identity in motion
What happens when a museum chooses an ongoing dialogue over a static logo? During our renovation we did not just tear down physical walls because we dismantled our visual identity too.Step into a design museum and you will find a kaleidoscope of chairs, styles and visions living side by side. Why should our own branding be confined to a single style guide? We believe graphic design should breathe and evolve and surprise just like the objects in our collection. That is why our new identity is not a fixed rulebook but a living system.
A platform for young talent
Meet Studio Grafisch Ontwerp, a creative incubator where emerging talent flourishes under the wings of Design Museum Gent and 019. The concept is simple. Every six months, fresh-faced designers from KASK & Conservatorium and LUCA School of Arts take the reins of our visual style. They build on what exists, they challenge the status quo and they add their own unique touch. It is a process that keeps our aesthetic sharp and distinctive and constantly in flux.
Our graphic playground
A living logo
For our logo we looked back to move forward. We revisited our original 1977 design and gave it a contemporary pulse. The lines of the letters A and K represent Craft (Ambacht) and Art (Kunst). They remain the foundation but with a modern twist.
Design is a moving target and we are moving with it. By giving Studio Grafisch Ontwerp the freedom to reinterpret our logo time and again, it can adapt to every story we tell. This ranges from the elegant flourishes of an Art Nouveau exhibition to the clean lines of a furniture showcase.
The Museum typeface
Bruno Jacoby and Moritz Appich from Gruppo Due crafted a bespoke typeface exclusively for us called the Museum typeface. They dove into the constraints type designers have faced throughout history. They set themselves the ultimate challenge to capture the entire DNA of the museum in just 26 letters without losing any legibility.
Instead of seeing these limits as a barrier they used them as a spark. The result is a font that is versatile and clear and strikingly bold. It comes in two versions. The first is a classic text variant that stays perfectly readable across every weight from hairline to super bold. The second is a display variant that reveals the skeletal structure of the letters. Just like the logo, the typeface becomes a framework for endless creative styles.
As a museum we are all about making design and knowledge accessible. That is why we are sharing our typeface with the wider creative community and inviting them to push its boundaries. For instance, Sara De Bondt has already put her own spin on it for our opening exhibition.
The crop marks
Crop marks are a staple tool for designers and they are usually hidden or trimmed away once a project is printed. However, Studio Grafisch Ontwerp made the bold choice to keep them front and centre.
The beauty of these little crosses is their flexibility. They provide a sense of direction without being a straitjacket. They are there to guide the way, but if our designers want to colour outside the lines then they are more than welcome to.
Our identity is never truly finished and that is exactly the point.
Special thanks to
Anthony De Meyere (Design Museum Gent)
Valentijn Goethals (019)
Bruno Jacoby
Ran De Vos (LUCA)
Stella Schöning (LUCA)
Vennica Sidibanga-Kaseye (KASK)
Haron Barashed (KASK)
Arno Huygens (KASK)
Marie De Keersmaecker (LUCA)
Joram De Cocker (KASK)
Septian Priyatna (LUCA)
Kaat Van Kerckhove (LUCA)
Marie Vermeulen (LUCA)
Jutta Vandenbussche (LUCA)
Saskia Smith (LUCA)
Woud Schoutetten (LUCA)
Marthe Huyse (KASK)
Maurits De Baets (LUCA)
Through Studio Grafisch Ontwerp, Design Museum Gent and 019 provide a professional launchpad for recent graduates from LUCA School of Arts and KASK & Conservatorium. Here they shape the future of the museum identity while giving their own creative development a major boost.