Turner Contemporary signs up to John Morgan identity

John Morgan Studios has created the visual identity, signage and wayfinding for the Turner Contemporary gallery in Margate, which is set to open on 16 April next year.

The consultancy was appointed to the work about a year ago without a pitch due to a long-standing relationship with David Chipperfield Architects, which has designed the building.

The project involved designing the logotype and identity for all the printed materials and collateral for the gallery, as well as the signage and wayfinding, all of which is yet to roll out. Consultancy founder John Morgan says that the visual identity grew from the building itself.

Morgan says, ’Our main starting point was taking the quality of the building and choosing something that’s sympathetic to that. The key thing for galleries is that the identity shouldn’t be too heavy-handed and prescriptive.

’We chose a typographic route instead of a visual device: a symbol or logo suggests a visual approach, but when dealing with artists and artworks the identity needs to be open-ended.’

Morgan says the consultancy used ’pure essential forms’, with colour coming from the materials the identity is to be applied on.

He adds, ’It’s the same approach as with the architecture – it’s about lightness. The colours come from the content so they don’t steal the show from the artwork.’
The design will initially be applied to stationery, and later to all exhibition collateral.

John Morgan has also created full guidelines to enable the identity to be applied to the website (mock-up pictured) and further marketing materials, which Morgan thinks will later be created by firms local to Margate.