We are the second customer - after Rein Wolfs - who have bought The Generic House-style. The identity will be used for Open Source Amsterdam and will co-exist along side the blue diamant logo of the Street of Sculptures. I am very pleased with it. The idea of a non-identity-identity is just the sort of concept suitable for the event. Also, it is a design that can grow and develop over the next year: it is not a rigid format. And most of all, the designer, Simon Davies understands exactly what I want with the Street and the event.
However, Layana, our communications advisor is a bit worried that 'normal' people may misunderstand; does the character of the logo reflect the seriousness and ambition of the project? She does acknowledge that the idea of the logo and the underlying principles of the generic house style fit the project perfectly. The thing is, you'd have to know about it in order to see it.
So, here are some words, written by designer Simon Davies on his Generic House-style:
The graphic design of a house-style for a small business, a cultural institution, or a museum is often referred to as a 'corporate identity'. Even though none of the above is in fact a corporation. Not even the museum. Well, not yet anyway. The generic house-style is a reaction to this surprisingly enthusiastic acceptance of the privatisation of our collective visual culture.
The generic house-style was developed by crossing the two most prevalent and paradoxical aspirations of modern Dutch graphic design; neutrality and differentiation. It combines Swiss school functionalism – sans serif typefaces such as Helvetica seemingly devoid of all decoration or embellishment – with our need to be visible and differentiate ourselves within the corporatist reality.
The generic house-style endeavours to represent not our differences but that which we have in common. It is a collective form of identity. One which, by sampling visual culture in all it's facets, offers not an illusionary image of ourselves mediated by private interests but a vision of our collective identity represented by the diversity of our visual cultures. As well as the urban complexity that these visual cultures attempt to capture.
The generic house-style it is priced at €500,- for residents of either G8 or NATO countries. For residents of countries outside the G8 or NATO we aim to give the generic house-style for free. The generic house-style will soon be available from www.generichousestyle.com and is now available by calling 010-2650263.
So, here are some words, written by designer Simon Davies on his Generic House-style:
The graphic design of a house-style for a small business, a cultural institution, or a museum is often referred to as a 'corporate identity'. Even though none of the above is in fact a corporation. Not even the museum. Well, not yet anyway. The generic house-style is a reaction to this surprisingly enthusiastic acceptance of the privatisation of our collective visual culture.
The generic house-style was developed by crossing the two most prevalent and paradoxical aspirations of modern Dutch graphic design; neutrality and differentiation. It combines Swiss school functionalism – sans serif typefaces such as Helvetica seemingly devoid of all decoration or embellishment – with our need to be visible and differentiate ourselves within the corporatist reality.
The generic house-style endeavours to represent not our differences but that which we have in common. It is a collective form of identity. One which, by sampling visual culture in all it's facets, offers not an illusionary image of ourselves mediated by private interests but a vision of our collective identity represented by the diversity of our visual cultures. As well as the urban complexity that these visual cultures attempt to capture.
The generic house-style it is priced at €500,- for residents of either G8 or NATO countries. For residents of countries outside the G8 or NATO we aim to give the generic house-style for free. The generic house-style will soon be available from www.generichousestyle.com and is now available by calling 010-2650263.
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