a new visual identity for the international council of...

A new visual identity for the International Council of MuseumsConcept book

International Council of Museums22 rue de Palestro - 75002 Paris

3ICOM visual identityInternational Council of Museums

Concept bookMay 2016

More than just a network, ICOM is a true community. Created in the aftermath of the Second World War, the International Council of Museums is originally thought as an international organisation for museums. 70 years after its creation in the Louvre, ICOM settled a large network throughout its 113 National Committees and 31 International Committees, and positioned itself as the only actor which represents the museum community worldwide. Thanks to the strength of its brand, ICOM gathered up to 35.000 members in 135 countries, and is now recognized as a reference by official authorities and heritage stakeholders.

Thanks to its networks, its worldwide database and its leading publications, ICOM has reached a global recognition as a key-player for museum professionals. However, the organisation must now cope with the growth of its membership, and challenge the commitment of its members, as well as the visibility of its actions in a much more difficult global context.

The Milano General Conference and the current work on ICOM’s statutes and strategic plan offer an opportunity for the organi-sation to set up a new genuine identity. This identity must be assimilated by each and every member, regardless of his working background, language or culture. The upcoming system must facilitate the work of ICOM’s committees and volunteers on the field while being strong enough to avoid alteration.

Our approach was to look for a graphic element that would be a synthesis of ICOM’s values, as enhanced in the new ICOM’s strategic plan : independence, integrity and professionalism. This symbol must be global, largely understandable and fit all cultures and beliefs. We like to imagine this symbol as a rallying cry. It has to gather a strong community, which commit to improve and stand for museums, rather than a disparate sum of individuals. Going straight to what is essential, the new ICOM’s identity gathers the strengths and expresses the role of the organisation. The monogram stands solidly. It is stable and trustworthy, a little monumental; but also modern enough to be future driven. It also embodies intelligence and creation.

We now invite you to discover this identity.

Intentions

is made

to be assimilated by every member, regardless of his workingevery member, regardless of their working

c-albumGraphic design studio


5450, rue du Faubourg du Temple75011 Paris France

Tel +33 1 56 08 37 70 [email protected]

ICOM visual identityInternational Council of Museums


I. The concept







The word “museum” around the worldAn overall look

متحفmataf

թանգարան t’angaran

যাদুঘর Yādughara

博物馆 Bówùguǎn

博物館 Bówùguǎn

박물관 bagmulgwan

მუზეუმი muzeumi

મ ય્ુઝિ્મ Myujhiyama

�מוזיאון

सगं्रहालय Saṅgrahālaya

博物館 Hakubutsukan

ಮ್ಯೂಸಿಯಂ Myūsiyaṁ

ພພິທິະພນັ phi phi thaphan

കാഴ്ചബംഗ്്ാവ ്kāḻcabaṅglāv

Indonesian MUSEUM

Javanese MUSEUM

Dutch MUSEUM

Norwegian MUSEUM

Swedish MUSEUM

Somali MUSEUM

Zulu MUSEUM

Portuguese MUSEU

Romanian MUSEU

Catalan MUSEU

Sesotho MUSIAMO

Yoruba MUSIỌMU

Sudanese MUSIUM

Estonian MUUSEUM



ਮਿਊਜ਼ੀਅਿ Mi’ūzī’ama

�موزه

அருங்காட்சிய்ம் Aruṅkāṭciyakam

మ్యూజియం Myūjiyaṁ

พิพิธภณัฑ์ Phiphiṭhp̣hạṇṯh̒

�میوزیمYādughara

�מוזייYādughara

Welsh AMGUEDDFA

Hausa GIDAN KAYAN

GARGAJIYA

Swahili MAKUMBUSHO

Greek ΜΟΥΣΕΙΟ

Albanese MUZE

Turkish MÜZE

Bosnian MUZEJ

Croatian MUZEJ

Slovenian MUZEJ

Latvian MUZEJS

Esperanto MUZEO

Czech MUZEUM

Polish MUZEUM

Slovak MÚZEUM

Hungarian MÚZEUM

Maltese MUŻEW

Azeri MUZEY

Uzbek MUZEY

Haitian Creole MIZE

Irish MÚSAEM

French MUSÉE

Basque MUSEOA

Finnish MUSEO

Spanish MUSEO

Galician MUSEO

Italian MUSEO

Tagalog MUSEO

Afrikaans MUSEUM

German MUSEUM

English MUSEUM

Cebuano MUSEUM

Danish MUSEUM

Lithuanian MUZIEJUS

Malaysian MUZIUM

Serbian МУЗЕЈ

Macedonian МУЗЕЈ

Byelorussian МУЗЕЙ

Bulgarian МУЗЕЙ

Russian МУЗЕЙ

Tajik МУЗЕЙ

Ukrainian МУЗЕЙ

Mongolian МУЗЕЙ

Kazakh МҰРАЖАЙ

Igbo NGOSI NKA

Icelandic SAFNIð

Maori TAONGA

Arabic

Armenian

Bengali

Simplified Chinese

Traditional Chinese

Korean

Georgian

Gujarati

Hebrew

Hindi

Japanese

Kannada

Lao

Malayalam

Marathi

Nepalese

Panjabi

Persian

Tamil

Telugu

Thai

Urdu

Yiddish

An overall look of the word “museum” translated in various languages highlights the linguistic root [MUS]







The MThe common initial

When all these translations are superposed, the most common root appears. The letter M can embody the full term







The body, the serif and the vertical lineA typographic monument

Ionic Greek Doric Roman DoricPapyriform

Sans-serifSerif humane Serif réale Serif didone

Just like pillars which support buildings, the serif gives a strong base to the letter. There are many serif fonts. The reale serif has a straight body and offers a progressive transition. The contrast between downstrokes and upstrokes shows elegance and modernity. The reale style was created at the same time as the Louvre colonnade, in the 17th century.







c s p m u & ß @ æ o fi fl f 2 6

Wang Xizhi, Preface to the Poems Collected from the Orchid Pavilion. 2nd century.

Verses 85-88, 3rd chapter of the Quran, in Tawqi and Nask, 14th century

Jan Van den Velde, Vive la plume 16th-17th century

Mrs Eaves serif Alexander Calder, Trapeze Artists

Jean CocteauPablo Picasso, Arlequin

Tito Honegger, Du Potentiel

The gesture of the painter, the calligrapher or the engraver is a voluntary action. No matter the intention – a quest for spontaneity or a total control of the pencil – the artist makes a mark. In that way, the manuscript gesture embodies culture, humanity and civilisation.It is also a smooth drawing, a pleasant lightness. The loop strengthens the links between people. It expresses a weave, a network.

The calligraphic gestureA human link







The typographyA multi-cultural system

The chosen font is available on most computers currently used : Georgia for the logotype and Arial for common compositions. a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w

x y z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ç È É Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö × Ø Ù Ú Û Ü Ý Þ ß à á â ã ä å æ ç è é ê ë ì í í î ï ð ñ ò ó ô õ ö ÷ ø ù ú û ü ý þ ÿ Ā Ă Ą Ć Ĉ Ċ Č Ď Đ Ē Ĕ Ė Ę Ě Ĝ Ğ Ġ Ģ Ĥ Ħ Ĩ Ī Ĭ Į İ Ĳ Ĵ Ķ Ĺ Ļ Ľ Ŀ Ł Ń Ņ Ň Ŋ ŋ Ō ō Ŏ ŏ Ő ő Œ œ Ŕ ŕ Ŗ ŗ Ř ř Ś ś Ŝ ŝ Ş ş Š š Ţ ţ Ť ť Ŧ ŧ Ũ ũ Ū ū Ŭ ŭ Ů ů Ű ű Ų ų Ŵ ŵ Ŷ ŷ Ź ź Ż ż Ž ž Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ ν ξ ο π ρ ς σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω

A B c d e f g H i j k l M n o P q r S t u v w x Y z a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Â Ã Ä Å Æ Ç È É Ê Ë Ì Í Î Ï Ð Ñ Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö × Ø Ù Ú Û Ü Ý Þ ß à á â ã ä å æ ç è é ê ë ì í í î ï ð ñ ò ó ô õ ö ÷ ø ù ú û ü ý þ ÿ Ā Ă Ą Ć Ĉ Ċ Č Ď Đ Ē Ĕ Ė Ę Ě Ĝ Ğ Ġ Ģ Ĥ Ħ Ĩ Ī Ĭ Į İ Ĳ Ĵ Ķ Ĺ Ļ Ľ Ŀ Ł Ń Ņ Ň Ŋ ŋ Ō ō Ŏ ŏ Ő ő Œ œ Ŕ ŕ Ŗ ŗ Ř ř Ś ś Ŝ ŝ Ş ş Š š Ţ ţ Ť ť Ŧ ŧ Ũ ũ Ū ū Ŭ ŭ Ů ů Ű ű Ų ų Ŵ ŵ Ŷ ŷ Ź ź Ż ż Ž ž Α Β Γ Δ Ε Ζ Η Θ Ι Κ Λ Μ Ν Ξ Ο Π Ρ Σ Τ Υ Φ Χ Ψ Ω α β γ δ ε ζ η θ ι κ λ ν ξ ο π ρ ς σ τ υ φ χ ψ ω ٱ ب ت ث ج ح خ د ذ ر ز س ش ص ض ط ظ ع غ ف ق ک ل ي

a л εa ж β ŋ ښ א

Latin Georgia

Latin Arial

Hebrew Arial

Cyrillic Georgia

Cyrillic Arial

Arabic Arial

Greek Georgia

Greek Arial

Phonetic Arial




The blueA common and universal color

Nowadays, the blue color has become the international color. International organisations use the blue, and even the main global companies. The blue symbolizes peace, serenity, continuity. Of course, it is also the color of our planet.







II. The logotype







Studies for the monogram







The monogram’s designShape and bold try outs







The M monogram

The logotype is structured around the letter M combined with a calligraphic loop.







The logotypeThe monogram standing alone







The logotypeThe acronym + the monogram







Le logotypeThe logotype extended

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