Museum of London makes call out for design consultancy to create its new visual identity

The museum, currently sited in the City of London on the London Wall, will be moving to West Smithfield, and it's looking for a new identity that reflects its "ambitions of being a shared place in the middle of it all."

The chosen consultancy will be "passionate about their mission," says the museum, and look to share its belief in enriching "the understanding and appreciation of London and Londoners – past, present and future." It adds that the identity will be all-encompassing, going "beyond being a logo" and "breaking the mould of existing museum brands", while also prioritising longevity.

The new designs will be used as part of its overarching brand architecture across both its new West Smithfield site and its museum in the Docklands area (which will remain at its current location in West India Quay), reflecting its broader strategic planning.

The Museum of London says it is particularly interested in start-ups and SMEs taking up the brief either individually or in partnership. Still, it will "consider anyone bringing an innovative approach to developing a brand identity."

"Our ambition is to create a shared place in the middle of it all where all the city's stories cross and collide," says Andrew Marcus, head of communications at the Museum of London. "One of the ways we will achieve that is by building a physical new museum in West Smithfield, currently one of the largest cultural projects in Europe. Another is reimagining what it means to be a museum.

"Our existing visual identity has served us well, but our research tells us it does not reflect our vision for the future. We have a superb new brand strategy created with Londoners. We now seek a creative partner who will work collaboratively with the museum team and with Londoners to design a new visual identity ready for when the new Museum of London opens in 2024."

The TED tender can be viewed here. Submissions are due by 12:00pm on 16 September 2020.