addis barge
graphic design, curation, cultural storyteller
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California African American Museum
Visual Identity
The rebranding of CAAM focuses on the rich and diverse contributions of African Americans and the broader African diaspora. My design for the visual identity connects the past and present and highlights culture and research. It reinforces the museum's role in cultural storytelling and academic inquiry.
This rebrand inspires audiences to engage deeply with the museum's exhibits, reflect on their identities, appreciate the ongoing influence of the Black community, and view culture as a form of technology.
Project Description
The challenge was to create a dynamic visual system, combining language and graphics across print, digital, and spatial media. The logo system utilized the brackets that nest the double “a” for “African American” to focus and emphasize the importance of black art.
Spatial Design
In a spatial context, the brackets also play a role in highlighting powerful imagery and figures, the system provides functions such as signage, advertising, and spatial environments. The brackets adjust and flex and are fixed according to their spatial context, and the environment they are in.
Print MaterialBeyond the logo, the brackets became a foundation in the typographic system as a messaging device. Within this system, the brackets flex their ability to contain messages, information, and technology within them, much like how culture functions. They adapt, stretch, and expand depending on the context and form. The brackets also play a role in highlighting powerful imagery and figures.
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