Gold Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design · 2020
Grand Egyptian Museum Corporate Identity
by Rana Gaber
- A' Design Award 2020 Gold Winner in Graphics, Illustration and Visual Communication Design
- Awarded April 15, 2020
- CLIENT: Rana Hossam
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 57,775
- Verification code 6721D05B61 · Verify this award
About Grand Egyptian Museum Corporate Identity
Grand Egyptian Museum is a corporate identity for a museum of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The logo is built from five hieroglyphs that read Egypt, combined into a geometric and simple form. The elongated rectangular shape is inspired by the cartouche, a frame that indicates a royal name. Black is the primary color, because the banks of the Nile were called the Black Land. The secondary colors are inspired by ancient Egyptian jewelry. Roboto is the main typeface, as its angles and curves match those of the logotype. An experimental signage system was developed.
Rana Hossam Gaber's Corporate Identity for a major archaeological institution demonstrates a masterful synthesis of ancient visual traditions with contemporary design principles, creating a visual language that honors millennia of artistic heritage while speaking with clarity to modern audiences. The logomark's geometric construction appears to draw upon the rich vocabulary of sacred geometry found throughout ancient architectural and decorative traditions, abstracting these timeless forms into a refined contemporary symbol. The intersecting curves within the vertical cartouche-like form may reference astronomical observations, the passage of time, or the eternal cycles that ancient civilizations mapped with such precision. The typography selection reflects considered judgment, with the geometric sans-serif face offering sufficient gravitas for an institution of cultural significance while maintaining the accessibility that contemporary communication demands. The monochromatic execution ensures versatility across diverse applications from monumental architectural signage to digital interfaces, while the generous white space surrounding the lockup conveys institutional confidence and allows the refined details of the mark to breathe. This identity system achieves the difficult balance of referencing historical visual culture without resorting to literal quotation or pastiche, instead distilling essential geometric principles into a mark of elegant simplicity. Viewers might contemplate how contemporary designers engage with the challenge of representing ancient traditions through modern visual languages while maintaining authenticity and respect for cultural heritage.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- While maintaining the use of ancient Egyptian design aesthetics as an inspiration, a logo was created using five hieroglyphs that read Egypt. They were combined together to create this geometrical yet simple look and feel. The elongated rectangular shape is inspired by the cartouche; a frame indicating that the text enclosed is a royal name. Black is the primary color because ancient Egyptians referred to the banks of the Nile as the Black Land. The secondary colors were inspired by colorful ancient Egyptian jewelry designs. Lastly, an experimental signage system was developed
- Dimensions & Packaging
- The aspect ratio of the logo is 6:2.3. The letter 'E' form the logo was used as a measuring unit. Roboto was chosen as the main typeface as it is a very modern and simple font. To add to this it is somehow geometrical. the angles and the curves of the font are the same angles and curves of the logo type. This similarity creates harmony and consisitincy
- Tags
- Visual Identity, Logo, Branding, Typography, Signage system
- Production Technology
- Exploring different visual languages to develop a logo and a signage system that is inspired from the hieroglyphs.
- Design Challenge
- Capturing the essence of the history with all it’s reverence was challenging enough. But the true Everest of this project was bridging the gap between the past and present. To bring that history with all its pretense into today’s world, required a deep dive into what is relatable. The research showed that most modern interpretations of ancient Egypt end up looking comical or simply a caricature.
If I were to avoid that pitfall, the design had to be simple. This was a case of less is more. In order to be relatable in today’s world the answer had to be Simplicity.
Tremendous time and effort went into carrying the complexity of the history within the folds of a simple modern design. Finding that common ground was at the heart of the creative/research challenge. - Project Duration
- 2015 German University in Cairo, 3 months
During the pre-master in Graphic Design Degree. - Operation Flow
- It Creates a unique visual experience, where it also introduces people to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs through a modern yet simple corporate identity.
- Research
- My research process depends entirely on the subject matter. Thus every project dictates the path I take to best understand the subject. The goal is not learn about an idea. Therefore the challenge lies in finding the purest, simplest meaning behind it.
My research journey for this project had to begin with spending a lot of time with the curators of the original museum. A masterpiece in it's own right with a rich history beyond a century old. I also invested many hours of study with the resident Egyptologists, archaeologists and guides. People who dedicated their lives to becoming that history. They were the key as they helped me understand the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, their deeper meanings and even how to pronounce them. To know how a language sounded paints a mental image in itself. They taught me how to make sentences out of hieroglyphs. I then buttressed this new knowledge by doing my own readings, including 'Egyptian Grammar' by Sir Alan Gardiner.
I took a deep dive into philology, literature, vocabulary, and translation. Only at the end of this exhausting yet exhilarating journey, did I start sketching and drawing until I reached to a simple clear iconography. - Inspiration
- The Grand Egyptian Museum hosts the most prominent collection of ancient Egyptian artifacts, dating back to various historical epochs. Developing a visual identity posed a great challenge; to represent the gravitas of the history while maintaining a modern and fresh look. The research and exploration process led to a rich identity inspired by the basic shapes of ancient Egyptian alphabets hieroglyphs. I incorporated hieroglyphs in the logotype and the signage system to invoke the ancient Egyptian culture and style. The viewer familiarizes with hieroglyphs without feeling foreign
- Image Credits
- credits to: Shutterstock and bensound