The Art Gallery of Hamilton is a long-standing cultural establishment in the city, committed to inspiring the community in Hamilton and the surrounding area with a wide range of diverse historical, international and contemporary art. Even so, the gallery finds itself relatively invisible to the general public, being situated amidst an architectural medley of brutalist structures and towering skyscrapers. Additionally, finding one’s way within the gallery walls may, at times, require some assistance.
We were commissioned to envision what the visitor experience from the street to the interior might be. We considered things like what visuals would attract, what messaging might engage, and how to effectively direct people to ensure a frictionless visitor experience with the AGH. This was no simple task, carrying through a visual language of a gallery in a way that doesn't interfere with or distract from the art, instead supporting it by way of visual attraction from the outside in.
Naturally, this birthed another set of considerations like: how might we represent the multi-faceted nature of the art within the gallery? Do we attempt to represent the diversity and internationality of talent (ie. Historical, European, contemporary, BIPOC, etc)?
2022
Design direction
Rony Mikhael
Through a process of research and ideation, diving into the gallery's history and its place in the city, there we a few key takeaways that drove where we arrived: The signage design mustn’t be so busy as to steal attention away from the art. There’s a limited visual language/suite of assets to utilize—how might we expand on the four colours? The design should not reference a distinct category of creative expression (ie. era, technique/style, region, etc) Depending on where you stand, different perspectives and perceptions of the art avail themselves; many entryways that lead to more inspiring works.
This led to the central concept that drove the design direction: Apertures.
All around the gallery exist openings, gateways from one room to the next; apertures promoting a sense of intrigue. In this space, they’re invitations into the world of people bold enough to be vulnerable and on display. Apertures allow people to enter, light to peek in, a new thing to be revealed. They cause us to look around the corner and tilt our heads with inquisitive wonder; like foreplay for inspiration. The apertures are nothing, however, without what’s beyond them: even caught within our periphery, the colour in a painting, the form of a sculpture, the grandeur of an installation, or even the sighs, gasps, and murmurings of delighted observers. The aperture draws us in.
As we continued to design, one primary aspect we considered was what the experience might be like for those who see colour, texture, and patterns differently than most of the population. To their credit, the senior leadership team at the gallery was adamant about keeping accessibility top of mind, so taking an empathetic approach, we created specific decals (e.g. on the face of the steps) and directional graphics to help avoid confusion and potential injuries. Accessibility is an aspect of design we as a community are constantly looking to improve upon. We're glad to have been challenged with this by such thoughtful partners at The AGH.
As we continued to design, one primary aspect we considered was what the experience might be like for those who see colour, texture, and patterns differently than most of the population. To their credit, the senior leadership team at the gallery was adamant about keeping accessibility top of mind, so taking an empathetic approach, we created specific decals (e.g. on the face of the steps) and directional graphics to help avoid confusion and potential injuries. Accessibility is an aspect of design we as a community are constantly looking to improve upon. We're glad to have been challenged with this by such thoughtful partners at The AGH.
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