Uppsala kommun
Juxtaposing the history of Uppsala
Uppsala Slottshistoriska is a new museum located in the Uppsala Castle, dating back to the 16th-century. The museum will be the center of the story of the history and development of both the castle and the city of Uppsala – giving new perspectives on the past and the present.
As Uppsala municipality's lead agency, Emakina created the visual identity and communication concept for the new museum.
The challenge
Emakina’s brief was to create a bold visual identity for the new museum, reflecting the connection between the past, the present, and the future, whilst emphasizing the distinctive silhouette of Uppsala castle. The new visual identity also needed to follow Uppsala Municipality's overall graphic guidelines with fonts, colors, name- and sender hierarchy.
Our solution
We came up with the concept and tagline "Outlook with insight - from past to future" and a flexible, collage-based design system juxtaposing old and new visual elements, like 16th-century paintings and photos from the castle's archives. At the heart of the new identity are various images of Uppsala castle.
The technique of juxtaposition and a mix of styles allows for engaging and thought-provoking communication. By placing artifacts and objects from different times and contexts next to each other, we can create contrasts that shed new light on the past and encourage fresh perspectives on historical events and figures.
The results
The museum's new identity reflects Uppsala municipality's graphic guidelines with fonts and colors but has a unique expression through the playful collage-based design system, the imagery, and tonality in both text and images.
