Koto’s redesign of The Norton Museum of Art identity is firmly rooted in the institution’s history and collections. The new plan weaves together its galleries, gardens, dining, and community programs in a very personal way that resonates for visitors and staff.
The inspiration for the new wordmark was living in the museum’s records all along. From the Koto website: “Buried in the Norton’s archive was a wordmark with institutional authority and genuine character. Revived and refined for contemporary use, it bridges the museum’s history and its ambitions for the future. The 40-degree angle in the ‘N’ becomes a through-line across the entire identity system, creating a brandmark that feels both established and decisively contemporary, and confident enough to sit at the very foreground of the brand.”
The system’s emblem was inspired from the sculpture “Diana,” which was commissioned for the museum’s founding in 1941. The designers felt that she effectively represented the institution’s pioneering spirit, capturing the museum’s “fiercely independent, sharp-eyed, and uncompromising” nature.
