MIGLE PADEGIMAITE Student ID: 200522336 THE SCHOOL OF DESIGN, UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS Undergraduate Dissertation The Business of Branding and Designing Visual Identity for Public Art Galleries This dissertation is submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Arts in Graphic and Communication Design 28/03/2013 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 Figure 1: The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film 13 Figure 2: Christchurch Art Gallery Identity 16 Figure 3: Tate Britain and Tate Modern, logos 18 Figure 4: The Big Sculpture Weekend Branding by Sumo Design 19 Figure 5: The Museum of Arts and Design 20 Figure 6: Graphics for The Hepworth Wakefield 20 Figure 7: Visual Identity of The Victoria and Albert Museum 21 Figure 8: Visual Identity for The Asian Art Museum 22 Figure 9: Visual Identity for The Museum of Modern Art 22 Figure 10: Leeds City Council Logo 26 Figure 11: Logo for Leeds Museums and Galleries 26 Figure 12: Brand Family of Leeds Museums and Galleries 26 Figure 13: The Brick Man by Antony Gormley 27 Figure 14: Leeds Art Gallery Logo 27 Figure 15: Exhibition Graphics for Damien Hirst 28 Figure 16: The Secondary Logo for Leeds Art Gallery 28 Figure 17: Branding for Nike Savvas 30 Figure 18: Leeds Art Gallery Brand Guidelines 31 Figure 19: Application of Visual Identity 33 Figure 20: Primary and Secondary Logos 33 Figure 21: The Dove Logo for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 22: A Group of Icons for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 23: Four Different Covers for Burton Saturdays 34 Figure 24: Colours for The Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery 35 Figure 25: Template Design 36 Figure 26: Leeds Art Gallery Autumn / Winter Events Guide 39 Figure 27: Visual Identity and its Application for Tate 42 Figure 28: Visual Identity and its Application for The Hepworth Wakefield 43 2 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 1. Introduction 4 2. Literature review 5 2.1. Public art gallery 5 2.1.1. Definitions and interpretations 5 2.1.2. Public funding 6 2.1.3. Shift: past and presence 7 2.1.4. Art gallery as a business 7 2.2 Branding and visual identity 8 2.2.1. Definitions and interpretations 8 2.2.2. Logotype 10 2.2.3. Colour 11 2.2.4. Typography 14 2.3. Roles and benefits 17 2.3.1. Overview 17 2.3.2. Unity 17 2.3.3. Destination 19 2.3.4. Modern appeal 20 3. Methodology 22 4. Presentation, analysis and interpretation 24 4.1. Case study one: Leeds Art Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications 24 4.2. Case study two: THe Stanley & Audrey Burton Gallery. Interview, brand guidelines and applications 31 4.3. Case study three: THreefold Creative Limited. Interview 37 4.4. Comparison 43 5. Conclusion 45 6. References 47 7. Appendices 50 7.1. Interview with Leeds Art Gallery 50 7.2. Interview with THe Stanley and Audrey Burton Gallery 58 7.3. Interview with THreefold Creative 67 3 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 1. Introduction In recent years, there has been an increasing level of interest in the arts. However, this level of interest has been rising together with the higher expectations from the visitors searching for whole new experiences worth their money and time. Therefore, art institutions not only face unprecedented pressure to compete within the arts context, but also with other forms of entertainment and education on offer (Hyland and King 2006; Lalloz 2000). Due to the pressure, it has become difficult to ignore the rise of art institutions adopting the principles of business. Whilst the shift towards acting as businesses has been perceived as a natural by private or commercial institutions, the public art sector has been sceptical and critical about the need of commercialization. Several studies have discussed the principles of successful arts marketing (Caldwell 2000; Schmitt and Simonson 1997; O’Reilly and Kerrigan 2010), but there is still insufficient data about branding and visual identity in the field of arts. Moreover, no research has been found that focused on the art galleries only. Therefore, the aim of this study is to explore the concept of branding with emphasis placed on visual identity in the context of art galleries. Comprehensive analysis of successful brand identities, graphic components and origins of those elements will be conducted. In order to understand the principles of successful visual identities, case studies and different approaches to designing visual identities, brand guidelines and their applications will be analyzed. The objective is to gain insights into the business of branding the art gallery sector, to understand the possible tensions and agreements from the perspectives of public art galleries and design agencies. Throughout the study, the term branding will be mostly used to refer to the process of visual branding, but its broader meaning will be overviewed as well. To date there has been little agreement on whether public art galleries need distinctive visual identities to attract audiences or should artwork be at the centre of such institutions (Williams 2011), therefore different viewpoints will be evaluated. More recently, literature has emerged on public art galleries becoming more outward facing than ever before in order to meet the requirements of demanding audiences. Hyland and King (2006) suggest that the role of brand 4 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 identity and its application within the context of visual arts is particularly important because of the visual sensitivity of gallery stakeholders. However, there has been little attention paid to how personalities of art galleries are reflected through the use of identity design. The aim of the study is to bridge the identified gaps in order to offer fresh perspectives to branding the public arts sector. This paper first gives an overview of the public art sector, definitions, challenges and shifts within the field. Theoretical interpretations of branding and visual identity, supported with empirical case studies (that also include some examples of commercial galleries) are discussed afterwards. Following a body of literature, various methods used to collect primary data are evaluated. Finally, original findings from the primary sources are presented and analyzed with conclusions summarized at the end of the paper. Gallery stakeholders, designers and managers working within the arts sector will find the study as a source of inspiration for fresh perspectives. 2. Literature review 2.1. Public art gallery 2.1.1. Definitions and interpretations For the purpose of defining what a public art gallery is it crucial to understand the core values that are reflected through the objectives and activities of a single public art gallery. Therefore, the online presence of the three most visited art galleries in the United Kingdom was examined. According to Tate’s website (Tate, 2012): Everything we do, from the programme we present in our galleries and with partners in Britain and around the world, to the books, products and food we sell in our shops and restaurants, supports our mission: to promote public understanding and enjoyment of British, modern and contemporary art. 5 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 As stated in The National Gallery’s Constitution (no date), its foremost objective is to make art pleasant, educational and accessible for a diverse public audience. In order to ensure that the collections are well maintained and preserved for the future generations, investments in research and conservation are made. Similarly, the National Portrait Gallery, as reported by Sandy Nairne, the director of the organization, aims to be a centre and stimulus for the public education and open debates through the art it exhibits. The fact that it is a publicly owned art gallery, like other national institutions, implies that it is a non-profit organization, favourably funded by a number of individuals (through donations, memberships and tickets for the temporary exhibitions, and as a consequence of spending in shops or cafes), as well as government, trusts and corporate sponsorship willing to contribute to charitable causes (National Portrait Gallery 2013). However, not only they function in a similar way of funding, but also stress the importance of similar aims such as attention to research and preservation of the collections. Nonetheless, the most common priorities the public art galleries share are being accessible, enjoyable and serving an educational role to the widest public possible, which, however, was not always the case. 2.1.2. Public funding According to Hyland and King (2006 p.11), restricted access to public art galleries was controversially established under the leadership of Thatcher in 1980s, when it was inclined to think that the funding of the art organizations was a matter of the public audience. For this reason, introducing admission costs at some previously free-of-charge art institutions (such as Victoria and Albert Museum) caused public discontent and rejection of these changes, which lead to the significantly decreased numbers of visitors and a declined interest in arts in general. The funding of culture was mainly rejected by the public audience due to the situation in the economy. Therefore, organizations that were responsible such charges were forced to reconsider their unsuccessful assumptions and reintroduce a free-of charge access (Hyland and King 2006). Consequently, in agreement with Eliza Williams (2011) from Creative Review, the arts market, once deemed as a niche and an exclusive privilege, has become more open, inclusive and accessible to a public audience, due to the given historical context. It not only resulted in becoming more affordable and moving from elitism to the wider audiences in terms of free-of-charge admissions, but also meaning that the public art galleries were able to deliver 6 Migle Padegimaite 200522336 their promised goals in a way that reflected their core values (such as accessible to a wide audience).