The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life
The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life
FREE LIBRARY OF NORTHAMPTON TOWNSHIP
One of our favorite things to hear at the beginning of a brand development project is that there’s an annoying misperception of an organization.
In the case of the Free Library of Northampton Township, it was that the library was a quiet, strict place to check out books or access reference materials. Understandable, right? In fact, that’s the EXACT image that the word “library” tends to conjure up for most people. Add to that the Library had never had an identity of its own, and we had the blank slate of our dreams.
Through extensive conversations with the energetic staff, a group of loyal patrons, and a few supportive township partners, we helped the Library develop and embrace an identity that was as vibrant, inclusive, and contemporary as the experience they so enthusiastically deliver.
Industry
Components
This pattern is a core element of the identity, inspired by the construction of the logomark to convey the vast and exhaustive resources, references, and content that is available within the Library’s walls (and databases).
To empower the internal team and any other outside partners to continue to activate the brand, an extensive Brand Guidelines document was delivered along with the identity itself. Through 49 pages, the elements of the new brand identity were defined, from color codes to usage guidelines to sample applications, all to ensure consistency while allowing for creativity.
In our very first meeting, “anti-shhh” was jotted down in the margins of a notebook, which turned into the Library’s theme line of “Curiosity UnSHUSHed”. The line graces the homepage of the website and pops up throughout the marketing materials as needed, and even informed some interior design concepts.
PROUD MOMENT
It was an honor to create the Free Library of Northampton’s very first brand identity, and it was even more rewarding to experience how enthusiastically it was received and how carefully and thoughtfully it was activated across library collateral and a brand new website. After handing over the design files and guidelines, we witnessed the swift transformation of a Library Director into an expert Brand Ambassador, and while he credits us with a lot of education and guidance, we think he had the power all along.
