Branding design case study for La Guilde, a gallery and museum for fine mixed media crafts by Canadian and First Nations artists
Branding design case study for La Guilde, a gallery and museum for fine mixed media crafts by Canadian and First Nations artists
La Guilde, historical gallery and museum institution of Canadian art, has been preserving, promoting and encouraging fine crafts for more than one hundred years. Specializing in Inuit and First Nations art, La Guilde is a non-profit organization that is comprised of a permanent collection, historically and culturally rich archives, an educational program with a broad outreach, and a gallery which draws together works by renowned and emerging artists.
This branding design case study demanded a comprehensive visual system that would allow for the development and expansion of sub-branding visuals of the various products and services La Guilde offers. Brand visuals promoting the gallery in general and visuals promoting the gallery’s events would need to be distinct whilst sharing an aesthetic that evoked the gallery.
La Guilde, historical gallery and museum institution of Canadian art, has been preserving, promoting and encouraging fine crafts for more than one hundred years. Specializing in Inuit and First Nations art, La Guilde is a non-profit organization that is comprised of a permanent collection, historically and culturally rich archives, an educational program with a broad outreach, and a gallery which draws together works by renowned and emerging artists.
This branding design case study demanded a comprehensive visual system that would allow for the development and expansion of sub-branding visuals of the various products and services La Guilde offers. Brand visuals promoting the gallery in general and visuals promoting the gallery’s events would need to be distinct whilst sharing an aesthetic that evoked the gallery.
The collection carries an inherent energy and passion that is evoked by the transformation and manipulation of diverse raw materials, such as wood, metal, minerals, porcelain, and glass. The logo would need to both represent and instill this energy of transformation. Furthermore, with such a diversity of mediums used by La Guilde’s artists, it was important to reduce the representation of said materials to their most basic and abstract visual form: a rectilinear line.
The collection carries an inherent energy and passion that is evoked by the transformation and manipulation of diverse raw materials, such as wood, metal, minerals, porcelain, and glass. The logo would need to both represent and instill this energy of transformation. Furthermore, with such a diversity of mediums used by La Guilde’s artists, it was important to reduce the representation of said materials to their most basic and abstract visual form: a rectilinear line.
A rectilinear line communicates an initiation or foundation to more complex action, becoming a motif of the “raw” in raw materials. The line is also a human-made symbol that does not naturally appear in the environment, therefore suggesting an artist’s intervention with their environment and becoming a motif for the “materials” in raw materials.
Two line sizes are used, one for the vertical lines and one for the horizontals, with a 1:3 relationship. This provides the visual language with a combination of elements to build from.
A rectilinear line communicates an initiation or foundation to more complex action, becoming a motif of the “raw” in raw materials. The line is also a human-made symbol that does not naturally appear in the environment, therefore suggesting an artist’s intervention with their environment and becoming a motif for the “materials” in raw materials.
Two line sizes are used, one for the vertical lines and one for the horizontals, with a 1:3 relationship. This provides the visual language with a combination of elements to build from.
The corporate identity of La Guilde is built on the forms established in the logo, which are then extracted and treated with various visual techniques: nesting, extrapolation, fragmentation, dramatic scaling, asymmetrical positioning, and spatial pacing.
While the logo acts as the primary visual brand ambassador, the typefaces Tungsten and Arnhem Pro will support and expand the brand's identity from a typographic standpoint.
The corporate identity of La Guilde is built on the forms established in the logo, which are then extracted and treated with various visual techniques: fragmentation, dramatic scaling, extrapolation, nesting, asymmetrical positioning, and spatial pacing.
While the logo acts as the primary visual brand ambassador, the typefaces Tungsten and Arnhem Pro will support and expand the brand's identity from a typographic standpoint.
To commemorate La Guilde's new brand, a branding celebration would be held. A selection of artists will be commissioned to create a work of art, within their chosen medium and material, that is an abstract interpretation of the character “G.” The artworks will be unveiled at the launch party and will be included in the gallery’s collection.
To commemorate La Guilde's new brand, a branding celebration would be held. A selection of artists will be commissioned to create a work of art, within their chosen medium and material, that is an abstract interpretation of the character “G.” The artworks will be unveiled at the launch party and will be included in the gallery’s collection.
The logo was re-imagined as a large, abstract textural graphic, employing the full brand colour palette. For the banner, the logo characters were extracted and isolated from the wordmark, and then combined with various artwork.
The logo was re-imagined as a large, abstract textural graphic, employing the full brand colour palette. For the banner, the logo characters were extracted and isolated from the wordmark, and then combined with various artwork.
The building facade depicts the logo wordmark, both intact and segmented. The logo is re-imagined as an original, abstract and three-dimensional artwork. For the gallery interior, the logo is re-imagined as an original, abstract and three-dimensional artwork. The horizontal strokes are designed as textured, stone-like bars that protrude from the surface of the wall. The vertical strokes are designed as recessed and back-lit frosted glass surfaces. The white wall acts as its own surface, taking on the literal role of white space.
The building facade depicts the logo wordmark, both intact and segmented. The logo is re-imagined as an original, abstract and three-dimensional artwork. For the gallery interior, the logo is re-imagined as an original, abstract and three-dimensional artwork. The horizontal strokes are designed as textured, stone-like bars that protrude from the surface of the wall. The vertical strokes are designed as recessed and back-lit frosted glass surfaces. The white wall acts as its own surface, taking on the literal role of white space.
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The gallery also presents a space to patron Indigenous and Canadian artists. For both the gift bag and box, the logo’s characters were both extracted and fragmented, symbolizing that the contained artwork is both a macro representation of La Guilde and just one piece of it.
The gallery also presents a space to patron Indigenous and Canadian artists. For both the gift bag and box, the logo’s characters were both extracted and fragmented, symbolizing that the contained artwork is both a macro-representation of La Guilde and as well as just one one piece of it.
Event promotion designs, such as poster, mailers, and pamphlets, all begin with the extraction of the logo’s “G.” The character is then disassembled and its elements are used as graphics overlaid the corresponding artwork. The interaction includes masking and obscuring, as well as physically supporting and positioning text.
Event promotion designs, such as poster, mailers, and pamphlets, all begin with the extraction of the logo’s “G.” The character is then disassembled and its elements are used as graphics overlaid the corresponding artwork. The interaction includes masking and obscuring, as well as physically supporting and positioning text.
Event promotion designs, such as poster, mailers, and pamphlets, all begin with the extraction of the logo’s “G.” The character is then disassembled and its elements are used as graphics overlaid the corresponding artwork. The interaction includes masking and obscuring, as well as physically supporting and positioning text.
Event promotion designs, such as poster, mailers, and pamphlets, all begin with the extraction of the logo’s “G.” The character is then disassembled and its elements are used as graphics overlaid the corresponding artwork. The interaction includes masking and obscuring, as well as physically supporting and positioning text.
