Personal identities are always constructions; we are not cast in moulds. Everyone draws from the symbolic order, the set of morals, goals, norms, values and beliefs of a society. By mirroring these or distancing yourself from them, you build an identity, which is always complex and has multiple sides. The same goes for making visual identities, one of the tasks of the typographic mason, which is the focus of this repositiory.
Although graphic identities or corporate ‘house styles’ of companies, organisations or institutes are often highly simplified and micromanaged representations of reality, the more porous cases are collected here. They perhaps do more justice to the chaos, versatility and variety that characterises these institutions, but which is often hidden behind cosmetic facades.
Do we really want to bring about a paradigm shift and do justice to the rich mix of people and cultures, give space to the signalled new dynamics in society and encourage citizenship? Then commissioners will have to invest in representation that is more imaginative, less controlled, messier and more engaged. The inviting openness, multiplicity and variability offered by the examples assembled here can serve as inspiration for this.
