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Open for Branding Week 4: The Calm Before the Storm

By Continuum - August 20, 2010

in Featured Items

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, we're in the concept phase. Here's when things begin to take shape--and our weeks of research, discussion, and brainstorming start to come together. The concept phase channels all of this work into sketches, and we create actual designs.

In other words, the work up to this point has allowed us to create rules and parameters for designing so that when we start to develop the brand identity, we'll create meaningful, on-point concepts deeply aligned with the mission and vision of Design Museum Boston.With our initial ideas on paper, we are gearing up for our first concept presentation to Design Museum Boston early next week. Check out this graphic, which shows the evolution of our thinking and the three big-picture directions we're taking for the concept sketches that you'll see and weigh in on next week. Let us know what you think.

CONCEPT 1: ALL ABOUT D.

The "D" is a bold, distinct, and ownable experience.

Like going to the "MET" or the "MFA," its name becomes its identity. Best in its purest form, it only takes one letter to communicate its central focus.

"I'm going to the D tonight."

CONCEPT 2: DESIGN IS EVERYWHERE

Design is everywhere

It's in the park. It's at the store. It's beyond the city limits.

Where there's design, there's Design Museum Boston.

CONCEPT 3: TAKE NOTICE

Design demands your attention.

It's easy to take it for granted. But now, Design Museum Boston calls out design in context and shows the impact it has on our world.

Open For Branding Week 1: Continuum's transparent design project for Design Museum Boston.

Open for Branding Week 2: Look Before You Leap

Open for Branding Week 3: Exploring the Possibilities

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rgm126

14 years ago

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As a whole, I like concept 1. Simple and likely recognizable. I am drawn to the description of concept 3 (especially the context and impact reference), but also feel "alarmed" at the title...that does not land well on me.
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Andrea

14 years ago

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I like the 3rd concept. Concept #1 reminds me of Overstock.com's campaign "It's all about the O"--a campaign which gave us some rather unpleasant television commercials and didn't really convey an exciting/positive message about Overstock. (You'll notice that slogan isn't posted on their website anywhere, as of now.) I don't think I'd be that excited about going somewhere commonly referred to as "The D." Concept #3 is inclusive without lowering DMB to an overly familiar or casual level, and serious without sounding too earnest or self-important. "Take Notice" gives me the idea that it's easy to appreciate design, and that there are more opportunities to do so than one might think.
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camingo

14 years ago

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Your process of analysis and brainstorming has been great. Very well communicated. Thank you for sharing with the wider design community. I hope our comments help.

I like the 1st or 3rd concept.

Concept 1 in it's simplicity of the "D" creates a very bold and dynamic message. Its catching and out of all the concept will probably be easy to remember. It creates a buzz and is a fashionable, young and fresh

To me I feel that concept 2 is kind of cliche and lacks the boldness. Using design is everywhere tells me design is normal and drowns the msg of the Design Museum

Concept 3 "Take Notice " also has a very dynamic and bold feeling to it. It is well directed to the values of the Design museum. The notion of "Take Notice" demands for peoples attention, it is a very proactive concept which gets people thinking about why, what and how.

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