BRANDING / VISUAL IDENTITY
Boston Children's Museum
Boston Children's Museum
Reimaging the visual identity for a children's museum.
Reimaging the visual identity for a children's museum.
ROLE
Research, Ideation, Art Direction, Logo Design
Research, Ideation, Art Direction, Logo Design
TOOLS
Paper, Pencil, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
Paper, Pencil, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop
DURATION
January 2018 - April 2018 (4 months)
January 2018 - April 2018 (4 months)
PROJECT TYPE
Personal Student Project
Personal Student Project
Overview
Overview
Founded in 1913, the Boston Children’s Museum (BMC) is a child-centered environment dedicated to fostering a life long love for learning, and the development of foundational skills through play.
The museum engages its audience through exhibits that emphasize hands-on learning and encourages children to indulge in curiosity, creativity, and discovery. It is a place where ideas and materials meet to progress the teaching of STEAM (science, technology, engineering art, math).
Founded in 1913, the Boston Children’s Museum (BMC) is a child-centered environment dedicated to fostering a life long love for learning, and the development of foundational skills through play.
The museum engages its audience through exhibits that emphasize hands-on learning and encourages children to indulge in curiosity, creativity, and discovery. It is a place where ideas and materials meet to progress the teaching of STEAM (science, technology, engineering art, math).
Problem
Problem
While the Boston Children's Museum is rapidly expanding and innovating its programs to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner, their brand identity has not evolved with it. The goal of the redesign is to create a brand that reflects the organizational change and attract the next generation of kids and parents.
While the Boston Children's Museum is rapidly expanding and innovating its programs to meet the needs of the 21st-century learner, their brand identity has not evolved with it. The goal of the redesign is to create a brand that reflects the organizational change and attract the next generation of kids and parents.
Challenge
Challenge
How might we rethink what the 21st-century brand identity looks like for a children's museum?
How might we rethink what the 21st-century brand identity looks like for a children's museum?
Old BCM Logo
Research
Research
At the beginning of the design process, I sought to understand what the Boston Children’s Museum represented internally, and to the public. I went to their website to analyze their mission statement, values, and history. I also looked over their annual reports to gather insights about their audience, growth, and future outlook.
At the beginning of the design process, I sought to understand what the Boston Children’s Museum represented internally, and to the public. I went to their website to analyze their mission statement, values, and history. I also looked over their annual reports to gather insights about their audience, growth, and future outlook.
Target Market
Target Market
Primary audience
Primary audience
The primary audience is children between the ages of two to fifteen years old. They are curious about how the world works and love exploring their environment. These kids have high energy and always ask their parents why things are the way they are.
The primary audience is children between the ages of two to fifteen years old. They are curious about how the world works and love exploring their environment. These kids have high energy and always ask their parents why things are the way they are.
Secondary audience
Secondary audience
The secondary audience is parents and childhood educators. They are blue-collared workers who spend 40 hours a week at their job. The parents love spending time with their children and would try to take them to parks, sports centers, and museums. They are constantly stressed about having to juggle between work and maintaining their child’s well being. Ideally, they want to spend more time playing with their children and see them grow into well-rounded adults.
Childhood educators are also an important part of the museum. They are teachers and learners. They thrive working with young children and love helping them develop their sense of independence in the world. These educators enjoy bringing new types of curriculum to the children.
The secondary audience is parents and childhood educators. They are blue-collared workers who spend 40 hours a week at their job. The parents love spending time with their children and would try to take them to parks, sports centers, and museums. They are constantly stressed about having to juggle between work and maintaining their child’s well being. Ideally, they want to spend more time playing with their children and see them grow into well-rounded adults.
Childhood educators are also an important part of the museum. They are teachers and learners. They thrive working with young children and love helping them develop their sense of independence in the world. These educators enjoy bringing new types of curriculum to the children.
"What we’re aiming to do with our children is to prepare them as best as possible from an intellectual standpoint, an emotional standpoint, and a social standpoint where they have the flexibility to adapt to whatever is thrown at them."
— Parent at the Boston Children's Museum
"What we’re aiming to do with our children is to prepare them as best as possible from an intellectual standpoint, an emotional standpoint, and a social standpoint where they have the flexibility to adapt to whatever is thrown at them."
— Parent at the Boston Children's Museum
SWOT Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Through my research, I was able to understand the current position of BCM and discover key areas of weakness.
Through my research, I was able to understand the current position of BCM and discover key areas of weakness.
Strengths
- Loyal customer base
- Consistent growth in the number of people going to BCM
- Always developing new and interesting exhibits
- Has over 50,000 artifacts in their exhibit, which helps enrich the learning experience
- Loyal customer base
- Consistent growth in the number of people going to BCM
- Always developing new and interesting exhibits
- Has over 50,000 artifacts in their exhibit, which helps enrich the learning experience
Weaknesses
Weaknesses
- Current brand fails to communicate the thrill, excitement, and discovery of the childhood experience
- Some of the areas in the museum feel outdated and old
- Current brand fails to communicate the thrill, excitement, and discovery of the childhood experience
- Some of the areas in the museum feel outdated and old
Opportunities
Opportunities
- Expanding into new areas of learning (STEAM)
- Collaborating with other organizations to promote brand awareness
- Social Media Marketing has not been fully developed
- Expanding into new areas of learning (STEAM)
- Collaborating with other organizations to promote brand awareness
- Social Media Marketing has not been fully developed
Threats
Threats
- Some areas of the museum did not appear to be clean
- Some objects were broken, old, and rundown
- There was a lot of unused space
- Some areas of the museum did not appear to be clean
- Some objects were broken, old, and rundown
- There was a lot of unused space
Marketing Message
Marketing Message
The key marketing message of BCM is to promote an enriching learning environment that allows children to explore, discover, and innovate. The secondary message is to celebrate the love for life long learning through play. One word that would be used to describe the marketing message is discovery.
The key marketing message of BCM is to promote an enriching learning environment that allows children to explore, discover, and innovate. The secondary message is to celebrate the love for life long learning through play. One word that would be used to describe the marketing message is discovery.
Design Process
Design Process
Explorations
Explorations
I started by creating some sketches on potential variations of the BCM logo. After getting feedback from my peers, I further improved them. Then I narrowed down the designs to the top three that worked with the marketing message. From there, the final logo was selected.
I started by creating some sketches on potential variations of the BCM logo. After getting feedback from my peers, I further improved them. Then I narrowed down the designs to the top three that worked with the marketing message. From there, the final logo was selected.
Creative Strategy
Creative Strategy
The creative strategy focuses on the idea of a child at play. Basic shapes are used as the building blocks to form the letters “BCM”. They are versatile because children can create anything out of toy blocks. Semi-circles are the most frequently used shape within the brand because it represents ‘D’ for discovery.
Primary colours was chosen for the logo because it symbolizes the foundation and base that allows you to create other colour variations. Shapes are also used in mathematics, which is one of the programs they promote in the museum. Finally, the logo uses the golden ratio because it is commonly found in nature and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
The creative strategy focuses on the idea of a child at play. Basic shapes are used as the building blocks to form the letters “BCM”. They are versatile because children can create anything out of toy blocks. Semi-circles are the most frequently used shape within the brand because it represents ‘D’ for discovery.
Primary colours was chosen for the logo because it symbolizes the foundation and base that allows you to create other colour variations. Shapes are also used in mathematics, which is one of the programs they promote in the museum. Finally, the logo uses the golden ratio because it is commonly found in nature and is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.
See the full brand identity manual
See the full brand identity manual
