"We need a new logo..."
The Daniel Bingham Foundation (formally the Bingham Library Trust) approached us for a new brand identity. The brief started with a simple "we need a new logo"... but got pretty interesting pretty quickly!
This long standing institution needed a full repositioning and an updated look and feel to bring everything they did into a distinct and recognisable modern brand. We loved working with the Foundation and have thrown our heart and soul into contributing to such an interesting and important organisation.
At the heart of Cirencester
This charitable Trust that has been at the centre of Cirencester for more than 120 years. The Bingham Foundation are the custodians of Bingham House, a building bequeathed to the people of Cirencester in 1905 by Daniel George Bingham. It was originally intended to be a place for "Mind and Body" with a library facility on the top floor, a gymnasium in the basement, a bespoke gallery space, and beautiful congregation rooms to host lectures and events. It really was a hub for culture and education in the community.
"For study, for recreation, and for reasonable amusement"
Today Bingham House hosts Cirencester Town Council, the Town Information Centre, a co-working zone, a rehearsal space for the Cirencester Band, and has its own collection of art, unique to the town. But perhaps most significantly was the intention to develop the gallery space and clarify the offering of the building.
The Foundation needed a future-proof brand that would represent them as a Contemporary Gallery, while further supporting their legacy offering of being a centre for culture and learning in Cirencester. Working closely with the Trust through interactive brand workshops we were able to conclude messages and objectives distilling them into key areas for us to explore. Together we established a new brand promise and refined who they exist for and what they wanted the key message of the Foundation to be...
Finding inspiration in every corner
During our creative process we developed five routes to explore. By far the most favoured and unanimously loved was our concept that celebrated the building itself.
We took inspiration from the excellent craftsmanship found throughout the building - the ceramic tiles adorning the staircase, the mouldings in the ceiling, the ironmongery and stain glass windows. We felt strongly that this brand deserved the the attention to detail and craftsmanship that the building had when it was designed and built back in 1905.
The Daniel Bingham Foundation Motif
So, we designed a piece of new artwork, inspired by the craftsmanship of the day, reinterpreting the visible cues from the Art & Crafts style observed with Bingham House. Plus, we took a fresh approach to colour, creating a modern palette to represent the vibrancy and range of offerings the Foundation provide.
This original artwork became not only became the first contemporary commission of the new gallery but also the centrepiece of the new brand.
Integral within the motif, and in a graphic arrangement reminiscent of the Arts & Crafts era, the open books highligh the building's original function and give us the DBF brandmark icon for formal use.
In it's most significant form, the motif now lives as an artwork on canvas as part of the Bingham Gallery Permanent collection. A gift from us here at STICKY, it is the keystone piece that sets the tone for the Foundation's new branding.
Flexible enough to be used in line form or as a pattern, we can create a range of assets that form the visual language of the brand - complimenting the period style and weaving in the new look and feel of the brand.
"We'll use it all..."
It's very rare that a client will approve everything with very little changes. But in this case, it happened. It simply shows the benefit of working closely with the client, and developing creative concepts based on shared insights!
Today, with new flags fluttering in the wind, hand painted projecting signs, subtle window decals, new internal signage and external plaques, Bingham House and the Daniel Bingham Foundation are proud to have a renewed presence in the centre of Cirencester - launching their new brand alongside the opening of the Permanent Collection Exhibition.
The STICKY Team are grateful to have been part of the journey. And it's been an honour to contribute to Cirencester's cultural landscape, helping such a veritable organisation achieve their vision and live up to their legacy of being at the heart of Cirencester, where Cirencester's people, history & art come together.
Rebranding can be a daunting experience... but we love it!
We work closely with clients to make sure your organisation gets the best solution to satisfy the brief and inspire your audience too. Plus, we have fun along the way.
