Visual Identity and Graphic Systems
Broadly speaking, our Master’s in Graphic Design takes students through a wide range of disciplines: Packaging, Motion Design, Editorial Design, and even environmental graphics. But one core skill that applies across virtually every creative field is the ability to build a coherent, effective strategy for a brand’s visual identity.
In the course “Visual Identity and Graphic Systems”, students were tasked with developing a full graphic identity for an existing museum. The standout project we want to highlight comes from Óscar Martín Rodríguez, who chose La Halle Saint Pierre, a singular art museum housed in a classic Baltard-style building in Paris’s 18th arrondissement.
Beyond the museum itself, the space includes a gallery, a bookshop, an auditorium, and a café.
The Logo
Óscar began by defining the overall tone for his graphic identity. The museum’s values and the kind of work it exhibits share a relaxed, contemporary, unconventional spirit. That naturally points to key ideas like diversity, creativity, and imagination.
To shape the logo, he focused on the concept of “container”—after all, the building and its architecture literally contain all these different uses. So he built the graphic system around geometric shapes drawn from the building’s exterior structure. He started with a simple arch form for the logo:
He then expanded the idea, incorporating not just the arcade but elements of the façade as well:
Once he had the core shape, he introduced more movement and freedom by splitting it into a fixed part and a variable part:
Notice how the fixed element remains instantly recognizable, creating a solid visual identity, while the variable portion—supported by the fixed one—can take on rich, diverse forms without ever compromising brand recognition.
Here are some examples:
And finally, a mockup placed inside the building’s bookshop:
