Nordiska museet was founded in 1873 and is Sweden's largest cultural history museum with over 1.5 million objects in its collections. Our brief was to create a distinct and adaptable brand identity for Nordiska that is anchored in the museum's rich cultural heritage but simplified and refined to work in the modern communication landscape. The new identity should be able to frame everything the museum has to offer and clarify that Nordiska consists of five visitor destinations.

The museum was founded in 1873 by Artur Hazelius and the imposing building on Royal Djurgården island – a sight in itself – was designed in Renaissance style by architect Isak Gustaf Clason. Since its opening in 1907, the museum has archived and exhibited Scandinavian life from the 16th century to present day through exhibitions, the management of historical buildings and the 1.5 million objects in their collection.

We began with a comprehensive inventory of the museum building's architecture and rich graphic archives. Original drawings, engravings, symbols and architectural details provided the foundation for all the building blocks of the new identity.

The result is a new expression for the Nordiska that combines 150 years of history.

The new symbol is based on the quatrefoil that appears in the museum's original seal, drawn by the museum's architect. As a tribute the distinctive shape was refined and became the new symbol. It also serves as a framing device with the ability to take ownership of any media content.

The museum's new wordmark and bespoke headline typeface is based on recurring features found in original drawings and engravings and have distinct features from period styles combined in a modern and unique expression.

The color palette reflects the prominent materials found throughout the museum building’s interior and exterior architecture, complemented by a set of signal colors for contrast and a contemporary feel.

Some results since launch:

– Net Promoter Score is at an all-time high (86)

– Brand awareness increase (from 86 to 90)

– Brand likability increase (from 73 points to 77)

– The Museum shop has all-time high sales

– Significant increase of first time visitors

– Amount of visitors in key events have doubled