Acropolis Branding Project

I created a brand identity for a historical landmark, the Acropolis of Athens. Located on a limestone hill above Athens, Greece, the Acropolis has been inhabited since prehistoric times, serving as a citadel, religious center, and currently a tourist attraction. I designed the wordmark, a business card, and a poster for the identity.

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 12.12.38 PM.png

Process

Concept 1

The Acropolis was ancient Athenian’s “Sanctuary, citadel, and Residence”. I focused on the “citadel” part, and wanted to emulate the Greek architecture of the city with my type choice.

Screen Shot 2024-02-20 at 8.31.52 AM.png

Concept 2

For this concept, I focused on the harmony, balance, and symmetry of the architecture. I referenced the complexity of city planning and used the imagery of blueprints to create a typeface.

Screen Shot 2024-02-20 at 8.31.57 AM.png

Screen Shot 2024-02-22 at 9.57.19 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-02-26 at 6.35.03 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-02-22 at 10.11.47 PM.png

Concept 3

I wanted to reference the visuals of the temples in the Acropolis and mimic the verticality of the columns of ancient Greek architecture. Further, I wanted to have missing pieces in the letterform to reflect on the age of the site and the buildings, and show how it is still persevering despite many disruptive events in history.

Screen Shot 2024-02-20 at 8.32.04 AM.png

Screen Shot 2024-02-22 at 5.17.15 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-02-26 at 9.22.19 PM.png

I decided to go with concept #3 because the concept behind it had the strongest connection with the visual strategy I was taking. I also preferred it being a fluid logomark that can change its orientation based on the environment it's inhabiting, which was most successful with the third concept.

Business Cards

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 8.48.36 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 8.48.28 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 8.48.11 PM.png

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 8.48.19 PM.png

As I was motivated by the columns of the Greek architecture and the missing pieces of the ruins, I thought that physically making holes in the wordmark on the business card would be appropriate. I used the positions of those parts as a grid to place secondary text.

Screen Shot 2024-04-18 at 8.48.03 PM.png

To further mark the business card as a physical object rather than a 2D design, I made a thicker business card with layered papers. In effect, thin black line is visible from the side of the business card, enhancing the architectural quality.

Poster Iterations

Screen Shot 2024-03-06 at 4.48_edited.jp

For the final version of the poster, I let the wordmark serve as the title of the poster. I decided on the stacked version of the wordmark to show the flexibility of the identity. I utilized the vertical elements in the wordmark to create a modular grid for the informational text to fit into. I used a tan shade to better communicate the visual language of the ancient ruins.