Ashley Steis: Museum Logo

Corporate Identity, Fall 2018

12/12/2018

Final Logo Lockup:

Final Business Card, Envelope, and Letterhead:

Final Gif:

The GIF is also the first page of the website, you click “see the insides” to enter

Final Website:

12/5/2018

Revisions:

11/29/2018

Revisions:

11/20/2018

Revised Letterhead and Envelope:

Revised Business Card:

Website Layout:

A slideshow will go where the image is

Animated GIF:

I still have to revise it to add the new logo, but this is the general idea.

11/5/2018

Letterhead and Envelope:

I want the accompanying type to be like a toe tag. I also want to try handwriting the info as well to see if that could also convey the toe tag feel.

Skull/Logo Reworks:

Color Edits for Business Card:

10/31/2018

Namestorming for Tagline:

1) Literal Concepts

Knowledge, Information, Morbid, Realistic, Horror, Gore, Inform, Display, Collection, Photos, Memorabilia, Relics, Artifacts, Blood, Serial Killers, Organization, Messy, Scattered, Mysterious, Curiosity, Museum, Exhibit, Cases, Gallery, Cult, Exposure, Psychology, Psychotic, Scratchy, Art, Painting, Decay, Bodies, Dirt, Graves, Ending, Weapons, Afterlife, True Crime, Suicide, Unknown, Record, Understanding, Questioning, Explaining

2) Figurative Concepts

• Knowledge– brain, discovery, understanding, information, learning, knowledge is key, teacher
• Morbid — dark, death, unsightly, horror, gross, rancid, brutal
• Realistic — plausible, could happen, naturalistic, faithful, vivid, genuine
• Horror– gore, scary, serial killers, movies, blood and guts, fright,graphic
• Inform– notify, acquaint, familiarize, enlighten, educate
• Display — cases, visual, exhibit, show
• Collection— prized, group of objects, expansive, display
• Memorabilia — personal, historical, objects from an event, cherished
• Relics — historical, informational, prized, ancient, sacred, holy
• Blood — red, thick, liquid of life
• Serial Killers — John Wayne Gacy, Jeffrey Dahmer, Aileen Wuornos, Zodiac Killer
• Organization-Structured, established, informal
• Mysterious —Unknown, intriguing, appealing
• Exhibit —display, collection, limited time
• Gallery — collection, art, display
• Cult — Charles Manson, Jonestown, possessive, brainwash, persuasion
• Exposure — bring light to something, feature it
• Psychology —science of human behavior
• Psychotic — insane, unhinged, crazy, demented
• Art — painting, sculpture, design, pottery
• Decay —deplete, maggots, rot, stench, bodies
• Graves–where the dead lay, grave markers, honor, tradition, respect
• Ending — finish line, resolve, fade to black
• Afterlife — Heaven, Hell, Purgatory

3) Thesaurus

• Knowledge–cognition, noesis
• Morbid — unwholesome, ghoulish, pathological, diseased, pathologic
• Realistic — naturalistic, realist, realism, lifelike, pictoral, vivid, graphic, hard-nosed, hardheaded, pragmatic, virtual, practical, down-to-earth, true to life, earthy, possible, real, veridical, existent, living
• Horror– fear, fright, fearfulness, repugnance, revulsion, repulsion, thing
• Inform– communicate, intercommunicate, change, modify, alter
• Display — court, romance, solicit, woo, presentation, disclosure, revelation, revealing, exhibit, showing, expose, show, video display, communication
• Collection — solicitation, ingathering, appeal, compendium, collect, collecting, assembling, aggregation, assemblage, accumulation
• Memorabilia — record
• Relics — keepsake, souvenir, token, antiquity
• Blood — temperament, disposition, smear, daub, people, bodily fluid, humor, blood cell, corpuscle, ancestry, pedigree, bloodline, descent, lineage, origin, parentage, stemma, stock, profligate, rake, roue
• Organization — system, arrangement, constitution, establishment, governing body, governance, brass, administration
• Mysterious — mystifying, cryptic, deep, inscrutable, secret, mystic, occult, orphic
• Exhibit —display, expose, showing, possess, parade, march, evidence, demo, present, show
• Gallery — veranda, audience, heading, drift, balcony, corridor, room
• Cult —faith, religious belief, organized religion, cultus, craze, rage, fad, furor
• Exposure —influence, revelation, revealing, disclosure, vulnerability, vista, view, scene, prospect, panorama, aspect, abandonment, forsaking, desertion, light unit, photo, picture, expose, presentation, demonstration
• Psychotic — insane, psychosis, psycho
• Art —fine art, graphics, nontextual matter, artwork, artistry, prowess, production, creation
• Decay — change, decomposition, dilapidate, crumble, decline, disintegrate, decompose, process, unsoundness
• Ending —finish, conclusion, termination, end, close
• Afterlife — hereafter

Phrases and Sayings

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, brains are better than brawn, doubt is the key to knowledge, knowledge is power, never stop learning, knowledge is power, common knowledge, drop some knowledge, have a working knowledge

Morbid curiosity, a welcome sight

Flesh and blood, blood is up, blood runs cold, blood is on your hands, a rush of blood, bad blood, be after blood, blood and guts, blood is in the water, blood is thicker than water, blood is shed, blood, sweat, and tears, blue blood, blood will tell, draw blood, blood money, fresh blood

Wrapped in a mystery, life’s great mysteries, mystery meat, shrouded in mystery, murder mystery

Down to a fine art, art is long and life is short, state of the art, art for art’s sake, the noble art, fine art, work of art

Be all end all, a dead end, means to an end, a war to end all wars, all end up, all good things must come to an end, all’s well that ends well, wit’s end, loose end, ass end of nowhere, hair stands on end, at the receiving end, end of the rainbow, end of the line, not the end of the world

Mix and Match

Everyday Life will be a Welcome Sight

Blood Shed

There Will be Blood

Life is a Work of Art

Life is Short, Death is Long

You’re Hair Will Stand on End

Learn from the Past

A Look at the Light

A Dead End

Killing as a Fine Art

The End

Out for Blood

See the Insides

10/30/2018

Revisions of Business Cards:

I continued the use of just the fly on the back. I liked the idea of also placing the fly on the other side of the business card like I did, so that way there would be repetition of the image and a distinct connection between the back and the front, kind of like a half title and a full title in a book. I used the color palette that I made and created two different versions to show the different color options.

Continued Revisions of Logo:

I’ve just been trying different ways to make the skull and all of the accompanying type darker. I’m still trying to mess with the skull to get it to appear like an inkblot the way that is desired. I also am trying to incorporate the colors chosen in different ways throuhgout the logo. In the top photos, I am trying different ways to incorporate the teeth and the mouth to better convey the skull aspect.

10/23/2018

Ten Front and Back Business Cards:

B+W Logo:

Twenty Color Trials:

Ten Tagline Possibilities:

• Curiosity Doesn’t Always Kill
• Morbid Curiosity
• Stare Death in the Eye
• That’s All Folks
• Appreciate Life
• Find Meaning
• Ignorance isn’t Always Bliss
• A Shared Experience
• The Next Great Adventure
• It’s a Curious Thing

Revisions on Logo:

10/17/2018

I took the typeface that I liked, Golden Ratio, and placed it into a circle. I printed it out twice and the first one I cut out and paint the letters with ink through the cutouts. Then with the second I just used the light board to trace the letters with ink.

After this I tried to remake the skulls, but make them look more like inkblot tests. I took inspiration from a skull on the internet to try and better understand how to make the skull more ambiguous.

10/9/2018

I took images of frontal skulls and tried to make more inkblots using those images. I experimented with inversing the image when inking it in order to create more of an inkblot look.

These three were the most successful. When it came to the first one, all the inkings that I did ended up very light on the side opposite the ink because of the lack of darkness throughout the image. I tried different variations of water and ink, but this one was the most successful.

After those I inversed the image while inking, which is the last two images. I like this version, but I will need to find a way to create contrast between this image and the type.

Trial of type with image

10/5/2018

Throughout the week I worked on trying to get the inkblots onto the computer and worked on trying to find some typefaces that went well with the inkblots.

I used Golden Ratio, Gotham Bold, Fairview, and Valencia. I think out of all of them I like Golden Ratio the most. I am going to print it out and cut the letter forms out with my x-acto and see how they look when created with ink instead of digitally.

I need to recreate my inkblots and then see how they look with inky type next to them compared to digital type.

9/27/2018

Maggot Digital Layouts:

I took the sketches of maggots that I did in my sketch book and I recreated them digitally. I decided I like the rounder, more bulbous maggot, (the first maggots drawn in the sketches) especially in the collage form. I formed them into a collage and tried to make the cross with it and then I tried to subtract type and a cross from it. I really like the smaller cross that I posted below. I’m not sure if it is coming across that it is made of maggots though. It almost kind of reminds me of roses.

Inkblot Tests:

I also did some inkblot tests of a skull, a cross, and a fly.

I think overall my favorites are the skulls. I think the one in the middle is easily recognizable as both a skull and an inkblot. I also think the last one is interesting because one half is clearly a skull, while the other side is featureless, it is just an inkblot. I also really like the first test with the flies. I think it has interesting use of space and it seems ambiguous.

9/23/2018

Sketches of Connections:

Revision of Lists:

In class we revised my previously made lists for death and museum to help me see these ideas more visually. Each word on the new lists represents something visual rather than an idea that can encompass many visuals.

Connection Grids:

List of Connections from Grids:

• Toe tags
• File labels on a cross
• File labels on an organ
• Journal covered in blood
• Journal covered in caution tape
• Display case nailed shut like a coffin
• Bust with a noose around it
• A broken bust with caution tape around it
• Dissection pin holding up a fly or maggot
• Ripped photo collage of serial killers
• Dissection with crime scene numbers next to it
• Shovel with crime scene numbers around it
• Caution tape on bones

After reviewing the list, the ideas that are going to be pursued are the idea of maggots surrounding or within letters and/or shapes and creating imagery with ink blots.

Sketches of Maggots:

9/6/2018

Lists:

Death: life, heart, gore, blood, bones, bodies, hospitals, disease, accidents, murder, killers, unstable, messy, unknown, mysterious, feared, decompose, stages, progression, hate, unspoken, red, end, beginning, graves, crosses, religion, burial, stone, fire, cremation, urn, ceramics, decoration, tradition, honor, legacy, family, loss, pain, coffins, body bags, medical examiners, autopsy, makeup, discoloration, bloating, toe tags, expensive, money, loans, debt, continuation, heaven/hell, God/Devil, peace, unrest, heart monitors, beeping, medication, IV, drip, fluid, unity, compression, flashing, nostalgia, tears, appreciation, understanding, value, pictures, documentation, obituary, newspapers, reports, tv news, news anchors, marching, procession, art, sculpture, remembrance, execution, electricity, needles, unity, morgue, angels, comfort, discomfort, bed, suicide, assistance, unavoidable, mortal, mammal, love, antidote, youth, desire, disdain, jealously, ease

Museums: knowledge, history, information, logical, facts, objective, benches, art, bones, skeletons, fossils, sculptures, frames, paintings, drawings, journals, exhibits, speeches, artists, shows, books, replicas, re-enactments, people, crowds, honor, remembrance, tradition, culture, phones, pictures, flash, cameras, memories, education, collections, memorabilia, toys, soldiers, stones, rocks, ceramics, text, animals, metal, photos, guides, leaders, speakers, music, white, clean, spacious, inviting, comfortable, gift shop, money, exchange, service, public, open, coffee, souvenirs, snow globes, mugs, notebooks, mythology, narratives, legends, statements, architecture, advertisements, publications, marketing, posters, stairs, weapons, remains, archaeology, experts, staff, security guards, cashiers, nature, tables, chairs, cushions, blockades, velvet rope, storage, bathrooms, archives, gems, preservation, taxidermy, organization, layout, interior design, interest, comprehension, pop culture, food, artifacts

Connections:

• stairway to heaven and white light, the light airy feeling of museums combined with the idea of white light when you pass on
• toe tags, toe tags both represent information about the body and death which ties into the purpose of museums, which is to inform
• headstones, informational plus something that could be found in museums as well
• sculptures, serves as memorials for the passed on and featured in museums in all forms

Responses to Whitney article:

1. My initial response to the Whitney identity system is that I enjoy their redesign and I find their concept to be interesting. While it is simple, it is also recognizable, unique, and versatile, which is what Whitney wanted and the purpose of a logo. My favorite part of the design is just how responsive it is. While looking at some of their products, the main ‘w’ changes form on every one of their products, but it is still instantly recognizable and even adds an interesting touch to some of the product themselves that just adds to the identity of Whitney
2. Responsive design is work that can be viewed in many different formats, while still serving the same purpose and/or message. Like in web design, responsive design means that you are creating a site that can be viewed on a desktop, tablet, or a mobile phone and that will still have the same feeling and message across all three platforms. For corporate identities, responsive design is like the Whitney logo. The large ‘w’ can be restructured in many different ways and across many different materials, but still serve the same purpose, which is representing the Whitney museum. The pros of using responsive design would be that you could easily use and manipulate your logo across many different materials and platforms while still delivering your message. The cons would be that your logo would have to be fairly simple to be able to stretch across a variety of products and still be recognizable.
3. The new Whitney identity has been criticized as boring and duplicitous due its simplistic, open-ended design. Do you agree or disagree — why? Are boring and simple one in the same? I disagree with the idea that the Whitney identity is boring. The fact that it is so simplistic and open-ended is what makes it interesting to me. Typically, in the popular identities that I have seen a logo remains fairly the same across all products or advertisements for a company. For the Whitney, their logo gives them an identity, but it also leaves them some wiggle room to play with it and manipulate it. I think that if it was more complicated, they wouldn’t be able to do that. I do not think that boring and simple are one in the same. A lot of the time, simple designs have a lot of thought and concept behind them that might just be bogged down by adding extra elements to the piece.

Research

Interesting Museums:

1. Museum of Death — focused around everything about serial killers, burials, and the process after death. Embrace death, isn’t a negative or sad environment. Supposed to remind you to enjoy life while you can. Looks cluttered and filled with color.
2. The Mmuseumm — Simplistic, focused on human nature and culture in the modern day. Organized, bright lighting. The objects feel almost silly until further inspection of the backstory, which then sometimes makes the objects seem more upsetting or enlightening.
3. The International Banana Museum — Very cute, bright, and fun! All about bananas and every form that bananas have taken in merchadise.
4. Museum of Bad Art — Has an almost silly vibe. Their site features collections that are titled in a way that makes the pieces funny. Appears professional, but also comical and light-hearted.

After looking through them extensively I want to go with the Museum of Death.

Idea Board/Research

Existing Identity:

Original identity for the Museum of Death

• Right now their identity has a creepy, gory appearance. The type reminds me of the type you would find on the cover of a b-horror slasher film and I think it contrasts with the detailed illustration of the skull. The feeling of it is that they want it to be dark and disturbing.

Merch for the Museum of Death

• They feature a lot of merchandise on their website for fans of their museum. Since merch is a huge part of a company’s identity I think it is important that it connects with their logo and that they can be identified as a separate things, but also as a whole. Their merch is really all over the place in terms of style, type, and subject matter. I really like the pieces that feature the sketch-like illustration style. They share a cohesive color palette for the most part. I like the shirt that has all of the serial killers on it because I like that it looks messy, unfinished, and has an uncomfortable subject matter. That is a good representation of the subject of death and the museum itself.
• The skull featured on their logo and some of their merch ties in with the skull on their store front as well, but I think that the skull on their store front matches the more illustrative, messy style of their merch more than their logo skull does. It also seems much more interesting and disturbing to me. The skull in the logo looks like it comes right out of a anatomy textbook, which is a different style and feeling than their museum represents.

Location:

• There is a location in Hollywood, CA and another location in New Orleans, LA

One of their Fronts

Interior Shots of the Museum

• Based on these images, the museum feels cluttered and messy. It seems like each room/corner has a theme and it packed full with items to represent that theme. Some rooms are brightly lit and painted with colorful, bright colors while others are darker and have more neutral colors.

About Them:

• They were founded in June of 1995 by JD Healy and Cathee Shultz. Their mission was to inform the public about death in a variety of ways.
• They were originally located in a building once owned by Wyatt Earp and that was San Diego’s first mortuary.
• They do not feature any replicas or duplicates, everything is original.
• Features serial killer artwork and letters, taxidermy, crime scene/accident scene photos, coroners instruments, body bags, coffins, skulls, cannibalism, Manson family artifacts,
• There is no age limit, but they strongly suggest bringing a mature audience only and they having a saying, “falling down ovations” because of people fainting over their displays.
• Healy stated “We’re not about horror; we’re about death. If I wanted to scare people, believe me, I could, but that’s not our main goal. We’re holding a mirror up to society, and we want to educate people about death — for you to scare yourself.”

Reviews:

• Grotesque, shocking, and goth. A cool spot if your into dark themed stories and have a strong stomach. Pictures are quite graphic.
• Museum of Death says it all. If that’s what you’re looking for you’ll definitely find it here. I was warned, but I had no idea how gruesome it was going to be. We made the mistake of bringing my 15 year old with us. I took him out as soon as we hit the photo wall of the couple (enough said) and waited outside for my husband to finish. Five stars for the exhibits, but please reconsider bringing anyone under 18.
• Very interesting place, it wasn’t what I was expecting at all. I thought it was a little bigger but it’s a small maze-like place with tons of things to look at. There is some sensitive content. My favorite thing was The Heavens Gate bunk bed with the video playing next to it gave me the chills.

Inspiration:

Typographical/Color Palette Inspiration

• As a whole, the museum feels like it has a serious and educational tone. Their current logo goes against that feeling by being unprofessional and silly, in a way. I choose these as typographical inspiration because I think a bold san-serif or a serif that isn’t very dominant can covey a serious, yet still frightening environment.
• As for any other aspect of the design, I am really inspired by their merchandise and the messy, unfinished look to it, which could add concept to the piece by relating the logo back to the original idea of life and death and how messy and unfinished those two concepts are.

Mind Map:

Sketches:

• I really like the ideas I came up with in the dynamic section of my sketches.
• I also am fond of the idea related to using iconography to represent the killers featured in the museum and using punch out text in them when they are larger scale. I think that have the different combinations of icons and then a larger scale logo in one of the icons could make the identity of the museum more versatile.