2009
Swiss national museum, Zurich
Composed primarily of historical museums, the Swiss National Museums network presents the nation’s past and present to both Swiss citizens and tourists, sometimes in a very contemporary way. It was important to highlight Switzerland’s multilingual reality and to redesign the logo into a “masthead” style that celebrates the country’s four languages. Used by both the network and each of the museums within it, this element highlights the language of the region where it is used.
The text layout varies, but through these five lines of capitalized words, it appears as the recognizable element of a network capable of expressing this unity of differences. The use of this identifying element facilitates the creation of sub-identities, whether institutional or event-based. The visual design associated with the signature can be adapted depending on the context of its use. Whether through color or the shape of the letters, the concept is tailored and integrated into the theme. Multilingualism is fostered beyond the signature.
Design Team — Ruedi Baur, Axel Steinberger, and Denis Coueignoux