Western Australian Museum Rebrand

Last year, the Western Australian Museum celebrated its 125th anniversary. Coupled with the announcement of the development of a new Museum site in the Perth CBD, a rebrand was briefed to reflect their future ambitions and reaffirm the organisation as a leading Perth cultural icon. The Museum's existing identity had spanned more than thirty years, and now a new brand was needed that centered on the people of WA and their Museum experiences. The identity needed to be a strong reflection of the community, with the desire to put people at the heart of its brand.

By asking the community to rethink their world, a generative logo was created as a window into people’s own Museum experiences. Designing typography that reflected a strand of DNA, an ever-changing suite of imagery was sourced from visitors’ Museum experiences shared through social media, generating hundreds of logo variations. Representing a true account of the society in which we live, it reestablished the Museum as part of Perth's cultural DNA. To personalise the Museum’s eight sites around WA, the design used local imagery to showcase each region. The window device then carried through collateral with clever diecuts and production techniques.

After a comprehensive brand roll-out across print, digital and on-site livery, the Western Australian Museum increased overall visitation, community awareness and commercial impact through a consistent new brand, unifying all eight regional sites. With a renewed focus on people and the social fabric of Western Australia, the Museum was able to reestablished itself as a part of the State’s cultural DNA.

All good museums are a reflection of the community that it represents. As the idea centered on the visitors to the Museum and made them a core part of its brand creation, it helped create a stronger connection to the Western Australian community, and vice versa. With this renewed focus - and continually putting people at its heart - it helped influence and guide all levels of the organisation from the top down, not just in branded communications.