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What do you get when you combine FAPK, FST and FPPM? Well, NFPK of course. Or The Netherlands Fund for Performing Arts. Part of the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, The Netherlands Fund for Performing Arts collects the previous three arts initiatives under one moniker.
Jacques Le Bailly from Studio Bau Winkel, who created the new identity, provides some insight: The logo is inspired by the correlation between the performing artist and the audience. The ‘mirror’ effect emphasizes the complexity and diversity of the fund. Their target group is large from classic concerts to concept theater, amateurs and professionals.
While the marks for the previous initiatives had their merits — most notably the the kitsch light-bulb-laden marketing signage and the restrained Olivetti Multiservices-esque usage of an “O” — the new identity for The Netherlands Fund for Performing Arts successfully finds a solution for creating an energetic and contemporary wordmark. What could have easily been a stale mirroring effect is avoided through intelligent choices in not mirroring, or not fully mirroring, certain letters. The “T / +” and overlapping E letterforms for example, even the squirrly “S” seem to work effortlessly at imposing a more asymmetrical visual rhythm. Criticism could be given to the over-emphasis of the “P” and “N” which abruptly cap the form at either end. In addition, while the logo is large and visually complex it could have difficulty reducing to fit smaller contexts, however this is countered through its keen ability to be oriented both horizontally and vertically. While the applications seen thus far are not groundbreaking, they do a good job of working with the typography and bringing bright colors to a government handled corporate brand. In regards to the readability of “Podiumkunsten” perhaps some of our readers fluent in Dutch would have more valued insight.
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snow’s comment is:
oh.sofa.
On Dec.10.2007 at 09:45 AM
Persia’s comment is:
I like it. I too wonder how readable it is to a Dutch speaker-- this is clearly a logo (nicely) targeted to them.
On Dec.10.2007 at 09:46 AM
John McCollum’s comment is:
I love it. I especially love that they avoided the web 2.0 gradient 'mirror effect' on the wordmark. It's bold, and it's lively.
I like that the arch and the scale of the mark; it's theatrical and evokes for me stagelighting.
I fear, however, that the mirror metaphor will get old quickly if it's taken too far. I'm also concerned about the vertically oriented version -- it looks ungainly and turd-like.
On Dec.10.2007 at 09:50 AM
Tom Lewek’s comment is:
Love it, except I might suggest a change in the height of the 'P' to match the last 'N' instead of the 'E' as it is now. The 'P' is throwing me off somehow.
On Dec.10.2007 at 09:53 AM
Tim Van Damme’s comment is:
This truely is a design with balls, and I mean that in a positive way!
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:19 AM
Tephlon’s comment is:
Dutch speaker here.
It's perfectly readable to me.
I've been living outside of the Netherlands for 7 years now, so I hadn't even see the faux sign thingy (I used to work in the Culture sector), but this isn't straying far from other graphics used for Culture institutes. Good job, I think.
I like that they inverted the M and W too. The only thing bothering me is the E at the end.
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:29 AM
Jacques Le Bailly’s comment is:
I tried to make the 'P' smaller. It threw the logo off balance.
The mirroring effect is limited to the logo.
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:32 AM
David’s comment is:
as a dutch reader its really effortless to read, well done.
I like the logo, its playful and smart, the details really add to it.
I think the application to different media could have been done better though.
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:53 AM
Jacques Le Bailly’s comment is:
You mean technically or qua design ?
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:56 AM
C-Lo’s comment is:
It looks fantastic, but yet it has a more "audio" quality to me more then anything else.(audio arts?) Maybe as if I was looking at a readout of a soundwave on a computer screen. If the "audio wave" is in tune with how you actually would say that then I graciously fall to one knee to this designer.
On Dec.10.2007 at 11:53 AM
C-Lo’s comment is:
P.S. I am a real sucker for tie-ins such as I mentioned above.
On Dec.10.2007 at 11:53 AM
Kristoff’s comment is:
Dutch speaker here -- instant recognition. I like it a lot. Although I too feel the 'P' should not have been so pronounced. The 'N' however doesn't give me that impression at all. And like Tephlon above, I'm also bothered by the 'E'.
On Dec.10.2007 at 12:25 PM
damon’s comment is:
I dig it....it's cool.
is there any rationale as to why the P and N aren't reflected?
On Dec.10.2007 at 04:17 PM
BWJ’s comment is:
This is why I have always admired Dutch design.
I wish more organizations in the states would allow work like this to represent them.
On Dec.10.2007 at 04:20 PM
Craig’s comment is:
damon: I think the P and N not being reflected ties the wordmark off nicely at each end. If they were reflected, it would end very abruptly and lose its fairly organic shape.
On Dec.10.2007 at 06:16 PM
TheUprock!’s comment is:
The refreshed, one-brand identity is light-years ahead of any of the marks from the previous individual bodies.
On Dec.10.2007 at 06:24 PM
K. West’s comment is:
I like it quite a bit. It's fun and spunky and though it seems somewhat alarming or busy at first glance, it becomes immediately readable thereafter. Very good.
On Dec.10.2007 at 08:16 PM
Terry’s comment is:
@ craig & damon...
I think theres another reason that 'P' and the 'N' are not reflected.
Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe.
On Dec.10.2007 at 09:13 PM
Dale H.’s comment is:
First of all, thanks Terry for the Cmabrigde Uinervtisy comment. My mind must be human bc I read that effortlessly.
Re: This logo... Unwieldy but impressive. I can only wonder what the designers could do with a word that's less than 13 letters long!
On Dec.10.2007 at 10:27 PM
Jacques Le Bailly’s comment is:
We decided not to mirror the 'P' and the 'N', because it would have made the mirroring effect too obvious and less diverse.
And a mentioned above, the reader needs some recognition and the logo needs an end and a start.
On Dec.11.2007 at 03:20 AM
Mark’s comment is:
Dutch speaker here.. totally fine with the readability.
Where the usage of the I, T and the S is inventive, i really have a problem with the M. In fact the name is mis-spelled to podiuWkunsten this way. Probably a form-based decision as the proper use of the M would have resulted in a more closed form.
All in all a nice logo, a huge improvement to the previous ones, too bad the rest of the design doesn't capitalise on this. That part is bland to the point of being boring, needs more attention.
On Dec.11.2007 at 04:04 AM
Maaike’s comment is:
Hey, I'm Dutch and I don't find it hard to read either. But the upside-down M does bother me a bit.
I have to add that I'm a regular visitor of Brand New and I think it's great to find a Dutch logo here!
Joe S’s comment is:
I like it a lot. It's very strong and clean. My only concern (which is minor) is that the resemblance of the typeface to some of the cyrillic ones used by Russian constructivists makes the letterhead look a bit like Constructivist propaganda.
Oh, and John McCollum’s comment:
"...it looks ungainly and turd-like."
That had me falling out of my chair laughing. John, you should write for television.
+joe
On Dec.11.2007 at 08:30 AM
damon’s comment is:
"Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoetnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be at the rghit pclae. The rset can be a toatl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe"
haha, seen that before a few times but it's always sort of amazing to me, I was half way through it before i recognized it.
I agree with you guys, not too sure it'd be as effective if the whole mark was reflected. As an analogy, I think the two unreflected letters sort of wrap up the shape like a candy wrapper allowing you go enter and exit the shape easily, leaving the sweet stuff for the middle, so to speak.
I kinda feel like the P is too large also, and I would agree with the comments that the upside down M wasn't an amazing choice, because unlike other letters, and upside down M isn't just an upside down M, it's a W which must be at lest slightly jarring.
but maybe not, all the dutch speakers have no problem with it. And from the short time i spent living in Amsterdam, I know that dutch is a pretty insane language, so perhaps one upside down M is the least of your worries. :P
On Dec.11.2007 at 08:57 AM
Andi’s comment is:
I love and hate this logo all at the same time. Overall, I think it's a great logo, very fun and funky. But, I hate it, because it looks like there is a major readability issue. That issue is that I can't read Dutch, so I'm really having a problem detaching myself from the language of it. It's a great shape, flows very well, but it frustrates me as an English-only speaker.
I'm not sure if that really makes sense. I trust the user comments above that it is readable. I'm just really having problems with this one because of that. I don't usually have an issue with viewing logos from other countries, I think the reflection just really throws me off.
Overall, I like it, but I'm too narrow minded and non-worldly on this one to really review and understand it.
Kevin’s comment is:
man, why did I leave the netherlands again? Ballsy and beautiful...
On Dec.11.2007 at 12:54 PM
Niki’s comment is:
Why does Dunkin' Donuts keep coming to my mind? Is it the proximity of the "k" and "n"?
Otherwise I think its fun - it would definitely catch my eye.
On Dec.11.2007 at 02:12 PM
mattus’s comment is:
Great concept with a good story. Will enrich our visual cultural landscape.
On Dec.12.2007 at 04:34 PM
Kevin M. Scarbrough’s comment is:
This is a beautiful logo, I absolutely love it. It has a fantastic flow and weight.
On Dec.15.2007 at 09:57 PM
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