Nature’s Library

Client

Manchester Museum,
Part of The University of Manchester, UK

Creative

Concept, design, typography, art direction, artwork

Completed

April, 2013

‘Nature’s Library’ is a ground-breaking natural history gallery which saw the complete refurbishment of a grade II listed gallery, housed in Manchester Museum. ‘Nature’s Library’ explores Manchester Museum’s encyclopaedic collections and redefines the role of a museum beyond its displays.

Commissioned to create the brand identity and promotional marketing materials for the new permanent gallery, the museum’s impressive & vast collection of taxidermy provided the starting point.

Integrating the ideas of showcasing and bringing the vast collection to life, the design solution strikes a balance between the weird, the wonderful and the factual. Beautifully shot object imagery meticulously merged with Victorian illustrations form a series of stunning visuals that give the appearance of the objects coming to life. Complemented by bespoke typography, the solution ‘jumps off the page’ and creates a sense of wonder and awe, all while reflecting the character of the ornate, gothic surroundings and the nature of collecting.

The resulting ‘Nature’s Library’ design campaign was successfully implemented across print and screen based mediums, including full print collateral, a Manchester city-wide poster campaign, street lamp pennants and bus livery.