Commission designed the brand identity for New York based creative power house INSTITUTE.
Led by creative director Nathaniel Brown, Institute work with some of the world’s most creatively elite brands and individuals, including Kanye, Beyonce, Jay Z, Rag & Bone, and Kith. Despite a high profile client base, they operate with discretion and integrity, allowing their output to take precedence.
Our task was to rebrand the studio in a way that reflects these sensibilities. The identity needed to communicate the studio’s taste and attitude, without overshadowing the work for their clients.
The solution was a visual identity inspired by the graphic magnetic strip of a key card – an anonymous modern day artefact that opens doors. In print the graphic strip is embedded with the Institute word mark camouflaged between a bespoke microfoil security pattern.
The logo strip was created as one long strip that was reused across letterheads, envelopes, and business cards. Digitally this manifests as a loading bar that remains on screen and frames content. Colour fades punctuate the site to break free from the monochromatic identity – a visual metaphor for the creative work that lies beyond the anonymity of the brand.
