Zentrum für kreativ Technologien


January to May, 2022

Design has rapidly evolved from the 20th Century into the 21st Century. What can we learn from “artifact” technologies? The Zentrum für kreativ Technologien (ZkT) is a speculative creative technology museum and practice nestled in the southwest German hills at Stuttgart. Several months of my life were dedicated to building a branding system and environmental design for the museum. 
My case study is divided into these parts: 
  • Intro
  • Flexible Visual System (branding and activation)
  • Wayfinding
  • Organizational
  • Store


Introduction

OpportunityThe Zentrüm fur kreativ Technologien, a museum dedicated to archiving and nurturing technologies and techniques humans have used with electronic systems. ZKT, ahead of an opening night, wanted environmental designing and visual identity. It should reflect the nature surrounding the building itself, while embracing the experimental.

Mission and  Values
The Zentrum für kreative Technologien seeks to preserve the “old” methods before they are lost to time/generational death. It holds three main values: experimentation, innovation, and preservation. 
Vision
With the current mass extinction, rising water, and rapidly changing climate, it is essential that a “doomsday vault” be erected for human design needs and preserve all we have learned thus far. Data is inconsistent, and physical objects are fickle.

Logo

The logo was ideated from the central biodome, a beautiful and alien structure designed by architect Renzo Piano. I wanted to stick with the narrative of this place being nearly a mad science lab or doomsday vault. After drafting some ideas and abstracting the forms with the biodome and other ideas, I got some feedback and focused on what I liked: the biodome form with a simplified number of portholes. The logo for the store inside the ZkT, the Mutterschaft,  maintains narrative but allows for much more creative fun. 



Color
Colors were chosen that reflected the natural beauty of the museum grounds whilst maintaining a parallel to analog telecommunicatoins color test palettes. 
Activation
Advertising for the first year revolved around the use of creative code and custom creative software using Processing and P5.js. Given a few constraints and using the flexible visual system allows for the generation of many creative and consistent ideas. 



Wayfinding




Organizational







Store

The Mutterschaft store resides in the ZkT. A textured metal extrusion of the Mutterschaft identity sits above the entrance.

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