In 1992, Prof. Dr. Heinrich Klotz established the University of Art and Design (HfG) and the Center for Art and Media (ZKM) in Karlsruhe, Germany. With this he created a unique connection between academic study, professional research and exhibition space, and also a multidisciplinary environment with the ambition to apply traditional arts and design to new media technologies and electronic manufacturing processes.
We helped the HfG to create a new corporate identity which reflects the institution’s dedication to new technologies, as well as its interdisciplinary spirit and collaboration with the ZKM.
To communicate the close relationship between the two institutions, we visually connected the HfG’s new identity with the ZKM’s existing identity. The ZKM logo is composed from ASCI symbols and consists of two parts: 7 slashes form the beginning, and lead to 5 symbols which spell out the name ZKM. The new HfG logo builds on the first part of the ZKM logo. Further a binary code was applied to these 7 slashes resulting into two vertical positions for each slash and many animated logo variations. The new logo represents the exploratory and experimental spirit of education, and references the foundational programming language upon which new technologies are based.
We applied the new identity to all brand material such as business cards, letterheads and the website, and created a style guide for future reference.