Over the last few months, we at Friendly Design Co. have had the honor to work with the DC History Center on their rebranding efforts. At a time when it feels like historic things are happening all the time in DC, it seems extra fitting to work with an organization that is devoted to preserving and showcasing the ‘local’ history of DC where its residents live, work, and play.
After our initial discussions, we set out to create a brand that could highlight the extensive photographic library of the DC History Center. As a DC-based design firm, we also wanted to make sure we created something that avoided many of the usual trappings of “DC branded” iconography we see all too much throughout the city. This led us to the usage of a diamond shape, mimicking the border of DC, that we could use as a frame throughout the brand. The frames visually highlight and elevate historic photography and conceptually echo DC History Center’s work to highlight and elevate DC History.
Once we had the initial concept, the details came together quickly. We chose a bright color palette with an array of colors, in order to reflect the wide breadth of DC’s history and create something accessible for all. Our typeface choice came from the logo mark itself, it is a typeface that features diamonds instead of dots for lowercase “i”, periods, etc. Finally, we made sure the final details were easy for the DC History team to use across their myriad of initiatives.
We are so excited with how it turned out and cannot wait to see it all come to life over the years to come.