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Guest Editorial by Kosal Sen
The Franklin Institute Science Museum in Philadelphia is a popular tourist attraction that’s within walking distance from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It’s a funhouse of exploratory hands-on science. Kids can chase each other inside a giant walk-in human heart, gaze in awe at the IMAX screen, or sit and enjoy the planetarium sky. Though the permanent exhibits are meant for kids on field trips, adults are no less fascinated by the traveling exhibits that take place there, such as The Titanic, Gunther von Hagens’ Body Worlds, and King Tut. Through the years The Franklin Institute has maintained its well-respected, non-profit reputation by balancing educational material and fun without being too commercial or juvenile.
The Franklin Institute’s original mark, designed by Allemann Almquist & Jones, depicted a solar eclipse with Smithsonian-esque integrity. Finding strength in simplified elegance, the icon by itself maintained its clarity when used on the smallest of stickers to the hugest promotional displays on the building’s facade.
The new logo seems to have abandoned its reputable, scholastic image by dropping “Institute” and using an abstracted style fit only for a luxurious Center City condo. Now, in regards to the dropping of “Institue”, you may think, could the brand just be catering to whatever the general population calls it? Nope. Nobody in Philly has ever left out the “Institute” when saying the name. Granted, nobody ever says the “Science Museum” part, but “The Franklin Insitute” was and always will be its full name.
The previous logo used a customized Futura in a transparent way that would’ve made Beatrice Warde proud, treating the lengthy name to be quickly read. In the new logo, Futura calls attention to itself with an all-caps treatment, making for a hole-infested wordmark. Acknowledged are the attempts to maintain the original typographic choice. But at this point, it probably would’ve been better to find another typeface altogether. Futura will always look clumsy in all caps.
On to color: It’s bad enough they added a slew of colors to their printing costs, but using a dark, thin stroke on a black background is simply unthoughtful. If you can’t tell from the image above, there’s a darkened arc inside the orange circle. Just look at the favicon on their website for more proof. The lack of contrast along with the thin strokes make the whole logo muddled at small sizes. I’m not sure that the new logo includes that gray field behind “The Franklin”, but seeing it on the primary website and a promotional minisite, leads me to believe that it is.
When properly designed, an eclipse can be cleverly illustrated by a figure/ground relationship using only one color. Looking at the new mark, are we to believe now that the sun has been magically eclipsed by a semi-transparent planet? I’m not always for taking logos literally (dangerous strings on Rand’s UPS package), but being the science hub that it is, shouldn’t they know better than that? Truly disappointing.
Kosal Sen is a designer at Sides Media Studio where spends his most of his time on interactive and traditional branding for small businesses.
Jump to Most Recent Comment
Anonymous’s comment is:
i loved goin there as a kid - back when they had an image of Ben Franklin in there logo.
On May.08.2008 at 02:28 PM
adam’s comment is:
The Franklin? Really? I went there as a kid and always knew it as the "Franklin Institute." The Franklin sounds like a luxury hotel or something.
On May.08.2008 at 03:13 PM
Chris’s comment is:
The new design is strong in concept (being based on the old logo), but embarrassing in execution. Poor naming, color, and typography. Arbitrary, and uncommitted offset spacing. What a shame.
On May.08.2008 at 03:17 PM
drewdraws2’s comment is:
Oh no! As a Philadelphia I can tell you that I am horribly disappointed by this logo. In a city full of "Franklins" (Franklin Towers, Ben Franklin Parkway, etc.), The Franklin Institute always stood alone. The logo has been modern and readable for years, and it seemed to perfectly compliment the spirit of the Museum. This? This looks like an attempt to push aside th children (who have always been the focus of TFI) for more lucrative adult themed special exhibits (like BodyWorlds and Tut). And that doesn't even consider the obviously poor decisions made in the execution itself such as the hard to see eclipse and the tones of black.
Boo to that. Boo to this logo.
On May.08.2008 at 03:18 PM
drewdraws2’s comment is:
Does anyone know who's responsible for this affront to my childhood, while we're at it?
On May.08.2008 at 03:19 PM
JonSel’s comment is:
The new logotype isn't Futura, it's Century Gothic. The 'R' is a dead giveaway for Century. The 'N's could tell you it isn't Futura.
I see the logo concept more as a lens now than an eclipse, but I agree that it isn't handled well. Why isn't the primary lens centered in the box like the original logo?
I remember going to the Franklin Institute as a child as well. Didn't they have a 747 or something in the courtyard?
A clunky redesign, overall.
On May.08.2008 at 03:20 PM
Prescott Perez-Fox’s comment is:
Jeez, I hate to call people out, but this is a missfire. The new logo barely resembles an eclipse (or anything sciencey) and I don't understand that black square at all. A two-tone wordmark isn't such a bad thing, but emphasising the word "the" seems like a careless oversight.
I agree with Kosal, where's the word "Institute?" Having spent the better part of 5 years in Philly, I can testify that The Franklin Institute has major clout with the populous ... but only known by that three-word moniker. If they're trying to shed their institutional nature, maybe they should change their web domain:
On May.08.2008 at 03:33 PM
Steve Rose’s comment is:
I think the old logo also has a semblance of an iris in it, which seems appropriate for a science institute.
On May.08.2008 at 05:03 PM
Kelley’s comment is:
I have loved this logo since I was a kid visiting the Franklin Institute. In fact, when pressed to call out a logo that is a great balance of concept and form - this is the one that comes to mind. This is a sad, sad day.
On May.08.2008 at 05:16 PM
klaman’s comment is:
wow. the franklin? oh man, this truly is a sad sad day.
at first i didn't even realize that the "hidden part" of the circle is actually visible behind the other one.
but thats besides the point. this makes me want to cry.
On May.08.2008 at 06:11 PM
littletinyfish’s comment is:
I immediately thought "coffee stains" long before I thought "eclipse." I'm still questioning it.
And when I went to the website, their gray-backgrounded logo is placed on top of a white background, so at the end of the logo it looks like the rest of the graphic didn't load. "The Franklin...what?"
Though maybe it's good that they changed the from the initial logo. Steve Rose mentioned it looked like an Iris. Upon further examination it looks like an iris staring at an eclipse. Maybe the original posed a health hazard? :-P
On May.08.2008 at 06:12 PM
BJ Nicholls’s comment is:
It baffles me when organizations with perfectly good logos decide that a logo change is required for what really amounts to a new marketing campaign. It's nuts, especially when it means a big step down in logo functionality and aesthetics. I've never been to the Franklin Institute but very few such organizations are flush with funds. A new logo propagated through an entire organization is a very expensive proposition.
On May.08.2008 at 06:16 PM
Von Glitschka’s comment is:
Kosal Sen’s comment is:
You did it again, Von. JonSel's right – it's Century Gothic, not Futura. My bad.
On May.08.2008 at 06:42 PM
Ray’s comment is:
Century Gothic?? Was this created on Microsoft Word as well?
On May.08.2008 at 07:14 PM
Randy Ludacer’s comment is:
"The Franklin," to me, seems to carries a wealthy, in-crowd-slang connotation--like "The Donald" or "The Cape."
On May.08.2008 at 08:31 PM
T-Bone’s comment is:
did a graphic designer do this?
HUGE step backward. Rubbish.
On May.08.2008 at 09:33 PM
gist’s comment is:
This wouldn't be SO truly disappointing if the Franklin Institute didn't have a history. The rinconsiderate thin lines are a terrific point. The dropping of "Institute" is a straight-up CRIME! If this is the work by a designer or firm FROM Philadelphia they shouldn't be allowed to do business any longer.
Very Unfortuante.
On May.09.2008 at 12:22 AM
lodenmuse’s comment is:
Philadelphia as a city has always been like a cherished lover to me. This makes me cry.
With everything off-center and abbreviated, my first thought was that this had been drastically cropped for the "AFTER" shot.
Next up: The Stars and Stripes gets de-colourized in black and white (modern, "strong") and the nation is rebadged as simply, "THE UNITED."
On May.09.2008 at 12:25 AM
kaz’s comment is:
Agree with lodenmuse... Why isn't "THE Franklin" (sounds like "THE Titanic!!") vertically centered in that box? It's like they left enough space under to write "Institute" but they forgot or maybe they deleted after the logo was done. Oh boy!
On May.09.2008 at 03:28 AM
What?’s comment is:
Seriously, though. Who did the new logo? I doubt it was AA&J.
On May.09.2008 at 09:06 AM
ScottS’s comment is:
Though I've never been to "The Franklin" it sounds a lot like the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, which I have visited often, so I think I can appreciate the spirit of the place. That said, this new logo defies justification. Just visited their website, all full of bright colors and images of things fun and educational. This new identity is the complete opposite of all of those things. As awful as this new logo is, slapping it all over its web site is perhaps even worse.
I've never seen the old logo of "The Franklin" before now, but it's looks iconic and has some very nice things happening on a number of levels: science/astronomy/awareness/understanding/discovery/learning. I would have much rather seen an *update* to this logo (not that I feel it even needs it) than a complete re-do to this upscale condo look.
A sad day indeed...
On May.09.2008 at 09:09 AM
Chad K’s comment is:
Not sure about the logo, but full media experience and marketing is being executed by Philadelphia based LinkRed Tettemer who is known for doing very unique, innovative work—much of which is in support of local establishments. More details here
On May.09.2008 at 09:21 AM
jeremy’s comment is:
The icon isn't horrible, but the wordmark is an absolute abomination. It hurts to look at it, its so awkward.
On May.09.2008 at 10:54 AM
Chad K’s comment is:
The logo, I have just learned, was also designed by Red Tettemer.
On May.09.2008 at 11:06 AM
Chad K’s comment is:
While I do not like the logo as a group, I do think there is something interesting in the two circles overlapping. It maintains the sense of eclipse while referencing something greater and more broad in a scientific way. Perhaps it is a microscope or magnify glass focusing on a specimen or petri dish the endless appearance of light photographed at night. Etc.
There is a nice version on the promo minisite:
Click on the highlighted question mark with the star next to it. Wait til the end of the video
On May.09.2008 at 11:20 AM
diane zerr’s comment is:
The new identity is awkward. Instead of naming it The Franklin, I would have opted for The Institute.
Looking at their site they haven't really renamed it (either that or they haven't fully embraced it), it still says The Franklin Institute Science Museum in the footer. I'm going to make an assumption and think they are following the lead of The Met (aka The Metropolitan Museum of Art.) But the big difference here is that The Met uses it as a nick name and not in their identity. The Franklin, took it to the limit and is rebranding the entire museum.
Not a great move, but maybe it will catch on.
On May.09.2008 at 12:29 PM
Greg Formager’s comment is:
Grate new logo.
On May.09.2008 at 12:31 PM
GB’s comment is:
Here's a
press release
Josh Levi’s comment is:
I'd gather the new name stems from popular
museum-esk nomenclature, i.e. 'The' followed
by a name/abbreviation. The Met, The MoMA,
The Frick, The Guggenheim, The Cooper-Hewitt,
The Tate, The Smithsonian, etc. Time will only
tell how well this can work for 'The Franklin'.
I am familiar with the previous logo always
kind of reminded me of a a happy sun in a red
doughnut. I never understood why it was red,
kind of like a dooms day sky.
The new mark needs a lot of fine tuning.
Nothings balanced. Lots of nudges and size
adjustments are needed. Something about
the all caps strikes me a too abrasive.
Overall though, its not bad, and iconography
is pretty successful.
I'd be curious to find out why they went for
a name change. Was it just to update their image,
or were they changing aspects of their mission
as an organization? Did 'institute' no longer
accurately convey what they did?
plaka999’s comment is:
This rebranding an abomination on every levels. Shameful.
On May.10.2008 at 01:14 AM
Stephen’s comment is:
I have a book called Designing Brand Identity, quite a good book for logo design, the original Franklin Institute logo is in here as a case study.
Considering the main advice from the agency back then - AA&J - was to use a "clean and highly legible treatment", it seems that advice was forgotten this time around.
And also considering that this museum is a not-for-profit organization, whoever decided to spend money on even undertaking such a radical re-branding when clearly, none was needed, should be fired.
On May.10.2008 at 12:24 PM
Glenn’s comment is:
Liked the old logo. The new one sucks raisin bran.
On May.11.2008 at 12:24 AM
Michael’s comment is:
One word comes to mind regarding the new identity and naming of "The Franklin"
FAILURE
On May.11.2008 at 02:07 AM
Michael’s comment is:
The design and or advertising firm responsible for the "clip art logo" should give The Franklin Institute their money back.
Ben Franklin is rolling over in his grave...
On May.11.2008 at 02:10 AM
Edward’s comment is:
Oh but people, it gets BETTER.
There is a Franklin Institute version of the logo.
Basically, the shaking monkeymaker gets The Franklin and the real adult academic stuff gets The Franklin Institute.
And it all goes down in flames.
On May.12.2008 at 09:57 AM
Kosal Sen’s comment is:
Good find, Edward. Looks like in this usage, the gray field is now gone and they've managed to switch the colors of "THE" and "FRANKLIN."
On May.12.2008 at 12:19 PM
wad city’s comment is:
Once you get past the stomach churning sensation of your childhood being ripped out of your heart via your asshole, the logo ain't so bad. My first reaction was barforama, but it took me all of 30 seconds to come around. At least it doesn't scream Smithsonian Jr. anymore (the similarities were always confusing). I think it takes some guts to bust out a black logo like this instead of some blue/green nonsense, and damn, you must admit it'll look fine on a black t-shirt. The fine colors and lines may be lost in small sizes, but then it essentially transforms into a b/w logo and the circles play little mind games. And plus, as can be seen by the "curious?" campaign, the logo just begs for animated treatments. Few other science museums would take this modern of a step forward, and that's exactly why the Franklin Institute has always been tops.
The text, on the other hand, is diarrheal. And dropping the "Institute?" Unforgiveable. Why don't they just call it "The Fran" and be fucking done with it.
On May.13.2008 at 01:38 AM
christopher’s comment is:
I always thought the old logo was a such a standout among modern identities, incredibly appealing and smart. The new logo is just very banal and rote.
Without the words the symbol has no chance of standing on its own, which is an important aspect of this kind of work.
Design in America is dying (yes, that is hyperbole).
On May.13.2008 at 06:41 PM
Michael’s comment is:
I am sorry the designer who designed the new "Franklin" logo should be shot in the head with Exacto knifes...
On May.14.2008 at 11:47 PM
David Speers’s comment is:
I almost feel like I'm tattling when I report that 'The Franklin' re-branding was done by Philadelphia's own Red Tetemer
On May.16.2008 at 03:16 PM
Aron Rubin’s comment is:
That is really sad. I guess they will remove the heart and the pendulum as well.
They included institute at the top of the weather station's page. Buy the way most people don't know there is a high power telescope on the top floor as well.
On to color: It's bad enough they added a slew of colors to their printing costs, but using a dark, thin stroke on a black background is simply unthoughtful. If you can't tell from the image above, there's a darkened arc inside the orange circle.
In print it would require a nasty bit of trapping to keep the color.
Nash’s comment is:
century gothic? seriously? CRINGE ALERT
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