The finalized logo took inspiration from Kyoto's city emblem, a geometric interpretation of a lotus. I stylized the katakana characters to be rigged, representing the museum's facade, and the lotus to be organic, representing its longstanding elegance.
I focused on fluidly integrating "Kyo", "Haku", and the lotus to work as an ensemble rather than separate pieces grouped together. By curving the lines into a circle, I was able to maintain the legibility of the katakana characters while creating a container for the lotus.
Kyoto National Museum is also displayed in English at the bottom for international visitors.
Three logos were prepared to suit any sized surface: standard, horizontal, and compressed.
As an added extension of the logo, I created a logo animation; with the intention of it being used on their YouTube page or as a promotional video buffer.
Animated in Adobe After Effects, the logo and background layer are detachable so the logo animation can be imposed on other video or still backgrounds.
The business card is printed on #100 matte card stock in a vertical position. The letterhead is printed on #32 text paper with the back dyed in red. The envelope is printed on #24 text paper and is folded as a vertical A2 envelope
The logo on the business cards are gold foiled while printed on the letterhead and envelope.
Unlike the business cards, letterheads, and envelopes, the brochures depart from the red and gold combination and adopt different colored patterns.
These patterns were inspired by kimono textiles and use objects and organisms originating in Kyoto like koi, tatami mats, loti, sakura, and chrysanthemums.
The colors used also complement the red and gold combo of the museum's new logo.
The logo on the brochures, similar to the print collateral, are gold gradient printed rather than gold-foiled because of its disposable nature.
The visual identity for KNM was compiled into a brand style guide so best practices can be referenced when needed. Color palettes, typography, and applications of the logo can be found in the document.
A full breakdown of the visual identity can be accessed through the style guide button at the bottom of the screen.
