More beautiful things for everyday life | Exhibition Design
Project overview: As an extension of the concepts discussed in my dissertation, I designed the visual identity for a hypothetical exhibition on New Nordic graphic design held at The Design Museum. Titled ‘More beautiful things for everyday life’ after Gregor Paulsson’s 1919 iconic propaganda publication. Informed by the research, the exhibition design is centred around the then and now correlation between the Scandinavian design movement and contemporary New Nordic graphic design.
Outcome: The visual identity draws on classic modernist imagery and typography (Neue Haas Grotesk) but reimagines it in bold and bright colours. Divided according to the five features of the movement identified by the dissertation: Functionalism, Craftsmanship, Democratic ideals, Respect for nature, and a drive for Visual beauty and Simplicity. Five symbols represent the five features, their shapes inspired by the graphic profiles of Scandinavian design classics such as the Alvar Aalto Savoy vase. The primary font across all applications of the identity is Neue Haas Grotesk, a refined digital version of Helvetica. This rich visual heritage and renewed refinement make it the perfect vehicle to translate the conclusions of my dissertation; that by learning from our design heritage and re-defining it, we are able to continue to innovate whilst incorporating the theoretical and philosophical values of our design history.
