A new identity system was designed for CHM (Computer History Museum). Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, the Museum integrates research, events, and an unparalleled collection of computing artifacts and oral histories to chronicle the impact of technology. The system is anchored by a wordmark that signals a shift to use the acronym more prominently, and a fluid interpretation of the core memory grid. The grid is a key development in the history of computing and an integral part of the Museum's history. Read more about the process on the CHM Blog.
Revolutionaries on KQED
In partnership with KQED, CHM held a series of events at the Museum that were later broadcast by the network. A set of animated assets were designed to serve as introductions and signoffs for the content.
Make Software, Change the World
Make Software, Change the World is a 6,000 square-foot exhibition that explores how the lives of people have been transformed by software. The visual language was built around the existing typographic tools within the brand, and integrated animations and compositions—themselves dictated by code in software—to allude to the subject matter.
Revolution
Revolution is an ambitious 25,000 square-foot exhibition launched in 2010 that completely reconfigured how the Museum's collection was displayed. It constituted a significant shift in how the institution presented itself to both new and established audiences. The materials developed were rooted in the notion of a visual timeline.
Core Magazine
Core is a yearly publication that is distributed to members and supporters of the Museum. Every year since 2008, we have been asked to design the magazine, aiming to strike a balance between the authoritative tone that the content carries with the need to keep the visuals aligned with a contemporary, forward-looking point of view.
Shustek Center
Located away from the primary exhibition space, the Shustek Center gives the Museum a place focused on scholarly research and software preservation. The site was named after Len Shustek, the founding chairman emeritus of the board of trustees of CHM.
Strategy to 2022
CHM underwent key leadership changes in 2019. As part of the effort, a new strategy document was developed internally to identify the challenges and goals that the Museum was facing. A booklet was designed to collect this content. It was treated in a very deliberately sparse visual language—as a Manifesto of sorts.
Family Guide
A set of Activity Guides were developed to encourage families to take self-guided tours of the Museum. Adults could use them as a way to learn about the collection and engage with their younger companions. Given the shift in audience, the visuals skewed more youthful and more colorful—though the typography and the notion of a grid from the broader brand language remained a foundation for the set.
