In the beginning, well the 20th Century, identities were predominently singular, they sat in the corner, they staked claim to an idea, they pinned themselves to a product, as flag device they sought an inherent symolism of power and respect. They were monolithic, they are the original definition of “visual identity” — a shape which encapsulates and conveys a symbolic meaning. They could be beautiful, emotive and timeless but this minimalism could never be sustained; technology, scientific discovery, ethics, culture became global, complex and numerous, identities became numerous.
Numerous
Famously Google, N.A.I and Tate (3 of many) were early adopters of ‘numerous’ visual identities. They re-wrote visual identity design in the early 2000's. They dared to rock-up to work wearing t-shirt and jeans, freeing themselves from the starched collar and bowler hat approach of 20th century corporate branding.
The black and white, static, monolithic logotype simply no longer ‘cut it’, a brave new approach born out of the seemingly infinite options of the Google ‘search engine’, the complexity of an architectural institute’s programme (N.A.I) and in the case of Tate, a family of 4 galleries wanting to reflect the breadth and diversity of its display. A perfect storm of technological and social factors pioneered a new polytheistic, animated vision of the branded future.
MTV arguably predated all of these by developing a constantly changing identity that embodied the idea of a non-stop 24 hour music video channel:
Knowing that many animators, designers, ad agencies, etc. were going to be working with the logo made them think how, just like rock music always changes, the logo should also. This was a concept that had never been used on a logo before. The “M” and the “TV” could be made of any colors and/or materials. — Frank Olinsky, Designer of the MTV identity.
These brands broke out of the visual identity petri-dish. They did something far more important then simply visualising a brand approach, they drove visual culture. By creating a dynamic identity that responded to changing content they provided a framework to change content. Google’s confidence to own a historically significant date or respond to current events through the use of its visual identity is one of the key reasons why, in 2015 we ask, “Have you Googled it?” rather then “have you Yahooed it?”. It became household, it became a verb! Google has evolved beyond ‘numerous’ its reached ‘responsive’ and with its Chrome web project its evolved to fully ‘Generative’ but more on that later.
Likewise the brand qualities and vision of Tate as an identity without borders allowed it to transcend its sector, it could lend its high brand values to a range of paints in DIY stores or become a coffee manufacturer without diminishing its brand. Without the inherent flexibility of its visual identity system this could not have happened. Like Google, this made it a household name, but beyond this, it helped popularize art, it helped shape culture.
Container
Another trend has been the logo as container device. This evolved as a by-product to the emergence of web 2.0. The ‘logotype as image’ idea offers the viewer a multi-everything experience in a content equality vision of the present. Notable examples include the National History Museum with its natural world filled ‘N’, Sky’s ‘Believe in Better’ content magnifier, the Museum of Art and Design in New York (MAD) taking filled shapes to the ‘container-peak’ of London 2012 which helped to popularise the trend to near extinction.
Spin further developed the Whitechapel Gallery’s identity, developing ‘the plinth’ device to coincide with a major expansion of the Gallery space. A new rationalised typography is given increased clarity in the top part of a graphic ‘plinth’. The bottom of the plinth is a placeholder for more detailed information. Images are cropped to give a sense of being at the ‘heart of the art’. The overall effect is of a confident and contemporary gallery that shares its elevated position with the artists it champions.
The former visual identity for Barbican was developed to exist within printed communication; a logo that bled off the page. Art-form sub-identities were beginning to fracture and weaken the overall brand. A new approach was required to uniform the centre under one identity.
In 2012–13 North Design developed the ‘carrier’ to re-position the Barbican’s offer, deconstructing the previous logo into its two component parts — the Futura logotype and the carrier device. This allows a dynamic and versitile ‘3.0' style container device (made for the digital age) to work across all formats and programme.
A reversed ‘logo as content device’ was adopted by AOL. and named ‘Best Identity of 2010' by the identity blog Under Consideration. Animated further by Field Design. This is a visual identity signature that has become a contemporary feature across numerous online market lifestyle brands, where effortless white typography sits on luscious images, HD video or intricate pattern, see AirBnB, Square Space, Pinterest and Tumblr as market leaders using this aesthetic today.
A trend which has further evolved into the audience generated or generative design model. Born out of coding and beautiful coding structures or information structures such as Indexhibit and illustrated beautifully at the V&A and onedotzero’s Decode exhibition in 2011.
Modular
The Whitechapel Art Gallery, 2003 by Spin used a bespoke modular typography overlaid on fully bleed imagery to create a vibrant, iconic departure the previous serif typeface created by Peter Savile.
OK-RM’s Stelka Institute identity uses a modular grid structure which can accommodate multiple forms of content. It permits a consistent and recognisable set of materials across different mediums — from printed in-house templates, website to signage.
For OCAD University Toronto’s new identity, Bruce Mau Design team worked closely together with the team of the Market OCAD University. The concept was born after a series of interviews of students and teachers to fully grasp “that was the school” an inclusive establishment, dynamic and creative.
So was born the idea of visual identity that would be like a “window opening on creativity” of the school. A dynamic and modular system where every year, graduate students are invited to design their logos. In the end, logos library grows from year to year, such as recording ideas and aesthetics of each period.
‘New Art’ and ‘New Ideas’ with the mantra ‘open, fearless and alive’ set the templaye for an everchanging modular design from Woolf Olins for New Museum, NYC. For a museum with no permanent collection, all this interchangeable newness makes a lot of sense.
Responsive
Beyond this initial wave, countless identities have mutated, evolved and grown wings to achieve greater flexibility. Too numerous to mention in full, this board gives a good running total.
However, 4 are worth special mention here 1) The Whitney’s ‘Responsive W’ (2014). An identity that looks different on every piece of printed matter. Inspired by Sol LeWitt’s instruction works. Experimental Jetset explain:
In fact, it was our original plan to present the new graphic identity as being just that — a series of five sentences. No guide, no manual, no templates — just a piece of paper (preferably transmitted by a fax machine), containing these five lines.
2) Munich’s Haus der Kunst — a non-collecting public museum for contemporary art. The visual system deleloped by Base in 2011 shifts and strteches to the format ‘like an elastic band’.
3) Sagmeister & Walsh go a step further and merge both container device and flexible identity systems with an identity generator for Casa da Musica in Portugal. The identity is represents alternative aspects of the phsical building and is filled with various ‘facets of music’.
More Four’s re-brands; by Spin (2005) then ManvsMachine (2011) took the notion of the ‘static logo that changes’ even further (twice) with the concept of a geometry in constant motion first as pivioting stylised hand and then as 15 differently coloured triangular ‘scrapbook’ shapes.
This leads us to the effect of responsive web design and the trend to beautify the web has had on visual identity systems.
In 2010 MIT Media Lab approached TheGreenEyl and E Roon Kang to update their identity for the lab’s 25th anniversary. They developed an algorithmic logo using Processing in an effort to capture the dynamism and diversity of the MIT Media Lab. The main concept is the idea of the intersection, each of the cones representing one individual coming to the lab.
There are 40,000 possible logo formations.
Generative
I’m drawing the line at (and not including) MIT Media Labs — ‘Flexible’ ends where the designer hands over control to numerous end users or an algorithm sculpts from random and infinite data.
Students, staff and alumni of Leeds College of Music can use software developed by Schmidt to make visualisations of their music, creating unique visuals of sound to be used in print and online.
‘They are able to create their own visual identity through the input of their own sound and the bringing together of the visual aspect with the musical aspect has a potency that would be impossible to achieve with words alone.’ — Philip Meaden, Leeds College of Music’s Principal and Managing Director
COP15's generative identity is created using a processing application created for the United Nations Climate Change Conference held in Copenhagen in 2009. The software adds dynamic, real-time movement to the logo by adding a series of parameters like flocking and flow fields.
The Walker Arts Center‘s visual identity uses repeat patterns of nouns and graphic elements to create customised user generated visuals.
‘A Times Square-like streaming river of information full of reverberating graphic patterns; it seems to be continuously flowing and changing.’ — Eye Magazine
An example of a multi-voiced, user-centred graphic identity. The graphic pattern making system reflects the numerous artistic disciplines found at the centre and is applied to a range of products and marketing materials. It is however, for some reason, very paired back on the website!
Singular
A one-off physical object with a constant or sequential imaging could offer brands a constanting updating system of representation. The Jarman Awards identity by Kent Lyons, 2009, exists only as a series of photographs and is an example of a one-off site specific identity that could change with environmental changes or future methods of distribution.
‘The huge letterforms spelling “Jarman” are the identity itself, exciting only in wood and placed outside the Whitechapel Gallery on the night of the awards ceremony. Each year the huge metre high, five metre wide letters are photographed in a different location to create promotional imagery for the event.’ — Kent Lyons
Reminiscent of Sagmeister’s 2004 typographic project, 20 Things I Have Learned in my Life So Far, being both site specific and temporary.
An example of an interactive ‘one-off’ is Random International’s Swarm Study series. Not a visual identity (yet) but a good example of a one-off dynamic object that responds to the presence of those within its vicinity inviting interaction and dialogue.
A non-responsive object, yet Bloomberg Tateshots identity is also a physical logo in constant flux, a performance object made of light.
Channel 4's new ID exists as 9 deconstructed elements of Lambie Nairn-original 3D logo, it was made in collaboration; 4Creative, DBLG, Jonathan Glazer and Neville Brody.
Chris Bovill and John Allison of 4Creative “nip out of the meeting room and return with an unassuming little black box, and inside that, they say, is the re-brand. And there it is in all its glory: nine neat little white plastic blocks that in all their minimal, abstract stature somehow instantly embody “Channel 4.”” - Its Nice That
Alternatively identities exist only online, at a designated address, or directly on the website, when viewed the site identifies the users IP, responding to local time, weather, lighting levels, even Earth’s precise axis and distance from the sun to give a unique and constantly evolving visual identity. The web visitor / designer downloads the logo at any precise moment to create their individual identity for use.
Kinetic
The Hexadecimal Colour Value Clock translates time onto a hexadecimal colour scale. It simply assigns a value to time but with mesmerising effects. The desktop screensaver over 70,000 times, while the website receives an average of 150,000 visits a month. I know its not an identity and I know its not really kinetic (but it could be).
One possibility beyond user generated identity systems is a self powering or kinetic system or algorithm. Completely freed from designer tinkering, boardroom decision and user generated interaction. An identity system totally self maintaining and self renewing and most importantly different every single time, completely temporal and momentary, with only the most universal parameters governing its existance and evolution to create a constantly fluid and ever-changing identity.
