It quickly became clear that the project needed to be approached from multiple angles. “Everyone has their own interpretation of what the Olympics means to them; it’s such a recognisable brand. Capturing the rich history was just one element of the project,” says Mark. “We needed to create something that would connect emotionally with a wide audience.” This meant delving into the vast iconography of the Games and the selection of artefacts on display, from medals, athletes, torches, ceremonies and mascots, and looking at how they could find their way into the imagery, either through direct photographic capture, or isolated and incorporated into posters to enhance their meaning in their own right.

A key requirement throughout the project was that the identity matched the official Olympic brand, a set of guidelines that dictate typefaces, graphics and illustrations, which you can read more about here . “During the process, we carefully selected a handful of elements and made considered additions,” says Mark. “We had to find the right balance so that there was enough flexibility between the communications, without sacrificing the distinctiveness of the museum.”

Of the three typefaces in the guidelines, the studio chose Olympic Headline for its “pillar-like quality” that references Greek architecture (a clever nod to the Games’ historical origins), and they even tweaked the M to look more like three pillars standing side by side, a “small addition that makes a huge impact,” says Mark. Another consideration was whether to keep the museum’s previous symbol, and ultimately they decided to animate it with some tweaks, tweak the colors and shape, and, most importantly, balance it with typography. Now, the symbol and wordmark can work together, but each part can also work independently, “becoming icons in their own right,” says Mark.