A brand identity that refreshes itself every two years

A modular brand that adapts to locations, artists and visitors

While Amsterdam is defined by its diverse urban culture, that same culture often stops at the museum doors. The Amsterdam Museum turned that dynamic around by setting up REFRESH, an exhibition that exists both inside and outside the museum. They wanted to connect all venues, artists and makers, so we created a brand system that every contributor can use, alter and implement. REFRESH is a biannual manifestation that needs to be able to adapt to different themes, different art works and different visitors. Our design system is therefore modular, flexible and able to make endless visual combinations. Artists and visitors can create their own patterns through an intuitive generator, resulting in a vibrant design system that’s in constant motion, connecting not only the works of contemporary makers, but all participating venues into one dynamic narrative.

Strategy
Campaign
Design
UI & UX
Motion graphics
Development

Achievements

We created a design system for REFRESH that allows for inclusion. Everyone involved could generate their own brand assets without having to consult us, creating new and unique patterns to enrich the overarching identity.
We also developed a unique typeface for REFRESH, built on the overarching pattern system – creating a set of variants for each letter. We could therefore create a unique typographic image for each asset.
Every pattern + type combination can be used both online (website, social assets, videos) and offline (posters, signing, visuals), creating a recognisable brand that always looks different the second time.

Approach

Amsterdam has become what it is through the people who’ve made the city their own. We built the REFRESH brand on that same value: everything we’ve created is modular, in motion and ready to be broken down and built up again. This results in a democratic, dynamic brand that’s recognizable in all its combinations: the power lies in its multifacetedness.