If you show someone a font, or a color, and ask them what they think, you usually get a lot of big opinions back. Symbols, lines, colors, forms – these things really move people whether they are paying attention to them or not, which is why smart companies spend so much time thinking about their branding.
At Kilograph, we think a lot about this too, helping people and projects find a unique visual voice, whether that’s through what we create or whittle down. Recently, we were able to do this for A+D Museum’s latest exhibit Wireframes, which is the first major survey of architectural visualization.
If you’ve followed archviz over the years, you know that its evolution is a study of how art and technology move together. With VR and AR gaining momentum, this technological link is becoming even more obvious, which offers an excellent opportunity to discuss how we viewed this essential bond.
To do this, we thought we’d have our Branding Director, Denzil Maher talk a little bit about our work on this project and how branding played a role in defining it.
Architectural visualization has changed a lot over time, how do you start to capture that feeling visually?
Archviz has always been informed by the interplay between artistic representation and technology. What this show gets at is what happened as software evolved alongside the art. In hindsight, much of what captivated artists in our community is really the result of limitations and errors in how we’ve used the software/hardware over time. Bumping into these limitations and growing from happy accidents is how we’ve been able to develop a unique aesthetic.
Archviz has always found beauty in the errors and potential of the creation process, so that became part of our branding direction for the exhibition. We wanted our letter animations specifically to show this struggle, but also the beauty we’ve achieved over time. Each of us experiments with software in our own way, but collectively, these experiments have yielded some memorable experiences.
What do you see as the core elements of Wireframes’ DNA? How did you bring those out in your designs?
There is a rigor to the process of developing architectural visualization. But when you see the finished product, you are never aware of the technological struggles artists have had to contend with to produce their work. We wanted to give a nod to the structure that informs everything we create through a simple and elegant brand. We built this into every element from the lines and color to the type and layout. Wireframes (as a brand) was the container or framework for this journey. Its job was to inform, but not overpower. It had to take a backseat to the artwork and stories, which are the real stars of the show.
Did most of the inspiration come from architecture itself or from other sources?
The name “Wireframes” itself was the initial driving force behind the identity. We felt it evoked images of rudimentary 3D computer graphics – like the “Draft” Program that Skidmore Owings and Merrill used to create the first architectural animation in 1984. This shows the beautiful simplicity of an architect’s line drawing digitally and spatially.
What assets did you ultimately create for A+D Museum, and why did you select these particular elements as vessels for the brand?
Within the visual identity we created a logo, color and a custom Wireframes typeface. We also created secondary motion graphics of each Wireframes letter to showcase different styles of 3D representation.
In addition to forming the visual “voice” of the show, these elements were used to craft custom advertisements for the exhibition on social media. In terms of exhibition content, we also designed and laid out the story panels for each artist in a format that recalls pages of a large storybook. These panels were presented horizontal on a projection wall we created; this allowed us to showcase a lot more artistic content than we ever could have if we had just used the walls.
When you are in the exhibit, you get the sense you are inside a living catalogue. This was intentional. We are expanding on this now to create an actual printed book of the work, an augmented reality application and some fun takeaways like t-shirts and posters.
Was the brand look directed at a particular audience or multiple audiences? How do different elements call out to different people?
The Wireframes brand was meant to resonate with multiple audiences. We knew the archviz community has been clamoring for a show for a long time, so with them, it was about presenting a brand that felt tied to their world. However, the entire goal of the exhibition was to introduce the general public to the work of this industry in an open, fun, dynamic and accessible way. So the brand was also created to be appealing to that crowd, giving a hint of technology, while being engaging enough visually to draw someone in.
Since Kilograph was also responsible for the exhibition’s layout design, did brand considerations also pop up there? And if so, how did you weave them in without intruding on the experiential elements of the exhibition.
The brand was the silent partner, the narrator that allowed every studio’s story to take center stage. The design of the exhibition itself, the curation and the layout, were the result of a series of discussions with the larger exhibit team. We made sure to maintain the Headline Title of each story and a visual datum for all imagery around the exhibition space to help structure all of this diverse information. It was important to keep a clarity to the flow of the images and text to avoid overwhelming people. This in turn allows you to fully appreciate each artist’s work.
Photography Hans Koesters
And finally, why is this exhibition important?
Wireframes is a milestone for archviz, as it’s the first time a museum has honored our industry with a show. While visualization is often seen as an essential element of a marketing plan, it’s history and artistic achievements are rarely discussed. This show aims to correct that, giving life to old stories and preserving a piece of history that would be lost if we waited much longer. It was exciting to be a part of.
