The identity of the museum
The Uffizi Galleries were awarded the Compasso d'Oro, the world's oldest and most important design award, for the effectiveness of their logo.
Here is the reasoning behind the award:
"It is a synthesis of values and identity condensed into a symbolic monogram. Simplicity and uniqueness ensure recognizability and discourage imitation".
It was director Eike Schmidt who, in 2017, wanted to give the famous museum complex, for the first time in its history, a logo that would represent its image:
"For the Uffizi Galleries it was essential to have a logo that would be easily recognizable to visitors from all over the world, including from cultures that do not use our Latin alphabet. We are grateful to Elio Carmi and Alessandro Ubertis for creating, for the first time, a graphic identity for the Uffizi that manages to make the noble, simple proportions of Vasari's architecture entirely contemporary.
Over to Gianluca Magri
The identity of the Uffizi Galleries brings together, in one open mark, the convergence of three main references:
- the Vasari arch, an explicit homage to the Florentine Renaissance, a meaningful trait d'union between nature and art, history and tomorrow.
- the divine proportion, or golden ratio, whose mathematical properties can be found in many natural and cultural contexts, a symbol of balance and perfection.
- the monogram, a synthesis used to form graphic signs of belonging. In art, Albrecht Dürer was the first to popularize it, spreading culture through it.
So I decided to reach out to Gianluca Magri, Art Director and consultant, a guest last July at the Summit del Museo Italiano, to hear his opinion on the matter.
Surprising news, but if we look more closely at what actually happened, it becomes exciting.
First of all, the award: the Compasso d'Oro is the oldest and most prestigious award for Italian design, given by the Associazione per il Design Industriale, usually to automotive, construction, and product brands and, generally speaking, "tangible" objects.
I could tell you it's like the Telegatto of design awards!
This irony of mine actually hides a much stronger envy/admiration, along with a certain emotion and curiosity. We are, after all, talking about an enormous accolade, created and supported by legendary deities of industrial design and beyond.
What logo or branding could possibly be crazy enough to receive a Compasso d'Oro?".
Nothing is left to chance
"A titanic amount of work went into this: a single excerpt from the brand book is enough to give an idea of how much work there was and how NOTHING was left to chance. Nothing, absolutely nothing, went unnoticed. From editorial to spaces, to digital and printed communication, the overall language and the rules to follow.
Everything was defined, designed, and set up around the mark, an incredibly simple monogram.
Now, though, let me tell you the point that intrigues me most: turning a museum (or rather, THE museum… we're talking about the Uffizi/Palazzo Pitti/Giardino di Boboli) into a "product".
Capturing, at a visual level, the image and identity of a public institution well enough to earn an award of this magnitude. I find it wonderful!
It confirms the reasoning I put forward at the Summit del Museo Italiano:
creating a brand isn't just about making a nice "logo"; it's not enough to show that you know how to use the golden ratio or that you're a wizard with Illustrator. The Uffizi logo is simple, pure, and linear.
There will certainly be no shortage of critics with the inevitable (and utterly foolish) "what's the big deal, I could have made that stuff too", but the point goes well beyond a nice graphic mark and perfect proportions.
This is about language, attention to detail, endless variations, but above all, work that represents 100% of the client's needs and style.
A complete new visual identity, able to tell the story of the Uffizi Galleries in their entirety, while respecting the personality of each individual entity. A complete and adaptable communication system that protects the client's recognizability.
In short: they earned the award not so much for the painting (the monogram), but for the incredible frame, the structure, and the wall that hold the work.
I'll close by saying this should be a case history for all of us. A brand needs to tell a story, not just look good".
If you'd like to share your opinion or find out more, we're discussing it here:
