Winston-Salem was at various times: North Carolina’s largest city; a global leader in manufacturing, finance, and transportation; the birthplace of iconic products such as the Krispy Kreme doughnut, the Hanes Beefy-T, and Camel cigarettes.
For decades, the only telling of its history (which begins 1753) was the period costume living history Old Salem Museum. Then a Hanes family descendant endowed a contrasting “New Winston Museum”. After a promising start, it languished until the Board decided it needed a comprehensive modernization.
They came to Airtype with a new name—MUSE—needing a visual identity and website. The name itself was an acronym: Museum of Understanding, Storytelling, and Engagement.
Rather than simply showcase dust-gathering relics, MUSE sought to shine light on historical events by presenting them in the context of their times, illuminated by dialogue, discussion, perspective, and reflection.
The rebranding needed to reflect MUSE’s mission to unite the community, bring people together, and create belonging where every voice could be heard.
Inspired by the idea that storytelling helps us empathize with and understand one another, we designed a mark to illustrate MUSE as an open book where individual stories are interwoven into the fabric of our diverse city.
