characters of character – leibniz-institute for the history and culture of eastern europe (gwzo), visual identity, invited competition, 1st prize, leipzig, 2017

often an organisation‘s presiding spirit is already apparent from its logo. does it promise more than the organisation can deliver – or does it tend towards modesty? is it pompous, or bland? is it cheaply made? does it perhaps even send out a friendly signal? the logo for gwzo (the leibniz institute for the history and culture of eastern europe) has been given a makeover. now it wears a simple but beautiful outfit with just a hint of extravagance. it is neatly finished and in problem areas – the visual conflict between curves and diagonals in the letters – it doesn‘t fudge or conceal but deliberately emphasises them, turning them into something special. this is where craft becomes artistry, fashioning a product that‘s not just wearable but contemporary, too. the foundation here is a logo constructed from triangles and circles, over which the characters are drawn according to the rules of type design: transitions are soft and flowing, in contrast to the pure geometric form.

leibniz-institute for the history and culture of eastern europe (gwzo)
visual identity
invited competition, 1st prize
leipzig, 2017

more

client
leibniz-institute for the history and culture of eastern europe (gwzo)

communication design
büro uebele
visuelle kommunikation
project team
carolin himmel
justyna sikora (project manager)
andreas uebele

photos
christian lindermann, justyna sikora

principal typefaces
own, leipzigzwo, 2017, büro uebele with gabriel richter

awards:

  • tdc new york, tdc65 2019, certificate of typographic excellence

fewer