Personal identities are always in the making. We are not cast in moulds, and neither are our representations. In this everlasting process, each and every one of us draws from their own construct of a symbolic order – a set of morals, goals, norms, values and beliefs of a society. By either reflecting that symbolic order, or by aiming to distance oneself from it, we develop our own identities. Inevitably, such identities are always multifaceted.
The same is true for visual identities. Visualising one’s representation is par excellence the domain of the typographic mason – and the focus in this repository. Such graphic identities – the corporate branding or ‘house styles’ for companies, organisations or institutes – are often highly simplified and overdetermined visual systems. Yet here, some of the more porous samples are gathered.
Perhaps, these examples do even more justice to chaos, versatility and variety, rather than overdetermined restrictive puzzles. From it, we can wonder if it is desirable at all if such a splendorous rich mix vibrant peoples and cultures should be subjugated to micromanagement and utterly predetermined boiled to dull identity brand-books.
Or, should we instead, provide the space to signal new dynamics in society and encourage active citizenship? If the latter, commissioners will have to collaborate with the masons in rethinking current strategies while investing in representations that are more imaginative and engaging, at the costs of control. Inviting openness, multiplicity and variety may form the pinnacles of such inclusive attitudes to identification.
