Contemporary Art is often misunderstood and underappreciated, commonly thought of as niche, intellectually intimidating and created only for the exclusive art community to enjoy. Previously a small, overlooked, and undifferentiated gallery, Toronto’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) was relaunching in 2018. The museum was moving from a small, nondescript space into an iconic 100 year-old factory. The objectives for the re-launch were twofold: to create a unique but simple brand identity that would differentiate MOCA from other art institutes, and to appeal to the art community and beyond. In other words, to make Contemporary Art accessible to, and appreciated by, all.

The agency’s task was to rebrand MOCA across all touchpoints, from design system to gift shop merchandise, and even a city-wide outdoor campaign. To reach culturally active Canadians, both those in the Contemporary Art community and beyond, the team created a unique design idea for MOCA that would be the basis for all touchpoints for the brand.

The design idea was inspired by the building’s most dominant architectural feature: columns that narrow as they climb through the floors. This treatment of thick to thin is a simple yet unique system which was born directly out of the building’s columns. This treatment became the brand pattern and was represented across all materials – even the chocolate bars sold in the gift shop.

The design needed to be simple and neutral, so it wouldn’t detract from the art itself. Inspired by the building’s thick to thin columns, the team developed a new typographic system in which each line of copy became thicker as it moved down, just like the building.

With the launch of its new look and space, MOCA went from an overlooked gallery to a must-see museum, achieving 40% of its annual attendance in the first 3 months.