Project Overview

We collaborated with our alma mater Cranbrook Academy of Art to develop an identity for their STUDIO 2021 event that supports both the academy and Cranbrook Art Museum. STUDIO “is a one-of-a-kind celebration of creativity. For nearly 90 years, Cranbrook Academy of Art (CAA) has been home to the world’s leading artists, designers, and architects. STUDIO provides unprecedented access to CAA’s current cohort of 100+ artists while generating essential funds to support scholarships for CAA students, CAA’s 11 departments, and programming at Cranbrook Art Museum. STUDIO registrants get a peek into the individual practices of these artists through a robust digital experience with images, video, art for sale, and more.”

Prior to the pandemic, STUDIO was an in-person event, but Covid-19 forced it to move online. With the event going virtual, the audience for the fundraiser grew beyond the usual Southeast Michigan region where “Cranbrook” is well-established with local donors. With the expanded global audience, it was important to introduce Cranbrook Academy of Art to the masses and to raise awareness about the event. Our goal was to educate the audience about the legacy of Cranbrook, and inspire them to become part of its present and its future by participating in STUDIO.

Our concept focuses on the audience becoming an early fan and supporter of the next big artist/designer/architect to come out of Cranbrook, as well as getting to know the established and notable alumni and artists-in-residence who’ve built the legacy of Cranbrook Academy of Art. We designed a messaging system that connects the past with the present, such as notable designer Harry Bertoia with current CAA student Meredith Morrison.

We focused on delivering this information through social media channels, such as Instagram posts and corresponding stories, in order to be budget-conscious. We also created a design system that could show off a range of artist work without stealing the show (and used Google fonts to make it easy for the web team).

Project Goals

• Engage audiences both inside & outside of the Southeast Michigan region where Cranbrook Academy of Art is located to “attend” STUDIO

• Celebrate the legacy of CAA; past, present & future

Project Challenges

• Create a brand that feels like “Cranbrook” (avant-garde/cutting edge), but that is also approachable, legible, easy for the Cranbrook team to implement

• Create a flexible design system that can feature a wide range of student work, imagery & text

• Balance the history of Cranbrook’s well-known alumni, who are predominantly white & male, with its more diverse present and future students

Project Outcomes

• The STUDIO event launched at the end of April 2021. Metrics are still being collected at this time.