Logo Rebranding

What was your initial reaction to the Whitney identity system after reading the first article?

Before reading the article, just looking at the sign I thought “ just a “W”? I guess that’s a simple interesting way to go about it”. But upon going further into the article I discovered it was more than just a simple stagnant identifier of a museum, it’s like water in a sense, ever morphing and changing to suit the wide array of accompaniments(artworks) displayed alongside it. Which makes a lot of sense given that attention span of viewers is getting smaller and smaller, this adapts to the issue by constantly changing yet retain its core design allowing for connection across its various iterations.

In your own words, describe what responsive design is. What are the pros and cons of applying responsive design to an identity system?

I would say that that the main pro of this type of design is its adaptability, killing numerous birds with one stone, an example of that would be the “responsive arrow” that was birthed during the design process. A simple arrow (half of the “W”) used for their sign system that is stretched and constricted according to the word length, its ever changing nature a callback to the logo design.

The main con of this type of design is that the main idea of the logo and its purpose may be lost due to its ever morphing quality and it might eventually become difficult to associate it with its brand, therefore losing its brand identity.

The new Whitney identity has been criticized as boring and duplicitous due its simplistic, open-ended design. Do you agree or disagree — why? Are boring and simple one and the same?

I completely disagree with the notion that its boring and simplistic. For me I believe that a logo that works and looks simple is usually the hardest to come up with, because the simplicity aspect of it makes it very very easy to miss the mark. And upon closer inspection of said “simple” design, much more complex decisions regarding grid placement, font choice, negative space have been made to give it such a simple effortless look, which in my opinion is a very hard look to achieve especially with the main element being a spindly ‘W’.

Also I believe that the simplicity and open-endedness of the design is what makes it stand out more especially among all the intricate art that is already present in its environment. Preventing the viewer from being distracted from the main attraction, but distracted enough to notice the difference and be intrigued by it, which I believe is the core of any good design, piquing the interest of the viewer.