Seattle Symphony’s reinvigorated brand revels in the organization’s bold, experimental spirit—bringing it in line with its city and helping it live its tagline.

ROLE
Creative Director/Designer; Sametz Blackstone Associates

SCOPE
Strategy // Branding // Print // Web

The 2019-20 season brought a new music director and a bold, experimental interpretation of the visual brand based on a generative system of experimental typography.

With the overall visual brand grounded by a strong use of core colors and typefaces, experimental typography adds a unique and recognizable character to the season materials. A metaphor for interpretation and flexibility, and a nod to the mists and fogs typical of the city, the images range from etherial to ebullient to energetic, and work as nuanced illustration as well as aids to conveying information. 

The Seattle Symphony visual system assumes a substantial amount of experimentation and reinvention from season to season. 

While colors and core typefaces remain constant, each season introduces a new visual motif; bringing opportunity for exploration and interpretation. Exploration for the  2019-20 focused on two primary approaches: pattern and variation, and typography as image.  

Flexing on the web

The reimagined website takes a mobile-first approach that keeps navigation consistent across screens and doubles-down on the symphony's signature magenta. 

The first season in the new visual brand featured a bold reassertion of identity through the dramatic use of color and sculptural typography

An in-depth brand book documents core visual elements and gives examples and strategies for exploring future motifs in this intentionally open-ended visual system. 

case studies

All material © Alexander S. Budnitz and/or the orgianzations listed