Museo Civico Siena

Cantiere Creativo created a vibrant, contemporary and fresh visual identity for the Museo Civico of the Comune di Siena. We aimed for a broad identity that would feel welcoming and inclusive, connecting old and new, classic and modern. The new logo is quite contemporary, yet it draws on the essence of the letterforms and symbols found in the frescoes.

The monogram is made up of the joined, partially overlapping letters M and C. The M is partly covered by the C but always remains recognizable. Inside the C is a symbol that graphically recalls a detail often found in the paintings and carved into the palace walls, making the monogram unique and recognizable.

Museo Civico di Siena branding construction with Cantiere Creativo guidelines

Medieval fresco in a hall of the Museo Civico with royal figures seated on thrones, surrounded by figures in period dress and symbolic decorations, exemplifying 14th-century art.

Museo Civico di Siena letterhead with the rebrand by Cantiere Creativo on a red background

A bright orange square filling the entire frame in a solid, vivid color.

A collage of three medieval artworks: colorful abstract patterns, a pink building with elegant arches and windows, and a female figure in traditional dress with a golden crown.

Seven vertical stripes showing color swatches in sequence: red-orange Fire Opal, reddish-brown Burnt Sienna, yellow Marigold, Ivory, gray Silver Sand, blue Onyx and black Onyx, each labeled with Pantone and RGB color codes.

Visual identity

The logos of the world's greatest museums are often minimalist, typographic, abstract and simple. They act as marks that present the museum's name in a recognizable, unique way, without trying to say everything about the museum. It's the more elaborate elements of a brand's visual identity that further reflect a museum's content and character. That's why the Museo Civico identity plays with the colors and shapes of the logo by overlapping the mark itself, creating a new, fresh universe that is also inclusive and accessible.
The patterns created by combining the shapes recall the vibrant, intricate frescoes inside the museum, while the final result has a modern, new look.
The museum's visual identity works well in print, on posters, welcome banners at the museum entrance, stationery and merchandise, and in the digital world too, thanks to a complete design system with clear, precise guidelines that lets the client create new multimedia projects independently.

Architectural and artistic elements: an ornamental wrought-iron detail, an intricate geometric pattern on a decorated wall and a set of colorful speakers, each highlighting a different design form.

The majestic facade of the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena, Italy, against a blue sky, with the Torre del Mangia rising on the left, showcasing Gothic brick and stone architecture.

Piazza del Campo in Siena with three colorful banners hanging from the Palazzo Pubblico, each bearing the name of a historical artist, as people stroll through the square on a sunny day.

Four illustrated bookmarks with artistic patterns and graphic details on an orange background, each showing artist names and exhibition dates at the Museo Civico di Siena.

A poster on a red background promoting an exhibition on Domenico Beccafumi at the Museo Civico, running from May 19 to August 25, with a detail of a classical artwork depicting a figure wearing a wreath of leaves.

Design System

The UI was built from graphic components called atoms, designed to be modular and combinable into complex, highly specialized elements. This system makes it possible to create new content and digital experiences on top of a solid, functional user interface.

Museo Civico di Siena website on mobile and tablet, by Cantiere Creativo

Two orange mobile phones resting on a surface, showing a museum app with historical details and an image of a colorful fresco.

A civic museum web page shown in two main sections, highlighting an elegant design with a red background and gold details, with images of Renaissance artworks and information on available tours.

A design system is a set of basic modules that share a common style.

These basic modules are managed according to written rules that let us create more complex elements for building interfaces.
This methodology follows the principle of "Atomic Design".