
MAMMAL MUSEUM
ART DIRECTION: DERMOT MACCORMACK
Muse: The Human Experience in Twenty Five Musical Instruments is an example of branding, exhibition, and identity design. I was inspired by the 10,000 year old bone flute. The pentatonic scale of the notes can be used to play the Star Spangled Banner, standing the test of time and still retaining its relevancy to this day and for generations to come. This was completed for the hypothetical Mammal Museum, and inspired by my internship at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This is the animated thirty second advertisement to tease the opening of the Muse exhibit at the Mammal Museum. Here is the stationary for the Museum which stands in line with the website. The catalog seen here is a reflection of the milestones in human creation via musical instruments.
CATALOGUE
This is the print piece that would be available at the Mammal Museum for the Muse exhibition. I was inspired by my time working at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and at a musical instrument shop and combined these two ideas of creation and history into this exhibit. Playing off the logo of the exhibit itself, the staff lines and musical notation themes are seen throughout the publication. The catalogue is broken down into string, percussion, brass and woodwinds, and accompaniment that span the curated 25 pieces in the Muse exhibit.
LOGOTYPE
I created this modular system for the museum’s identity that includes a primary logo, a secondary word mark, and monogram. The marks play off the bracket element as a direct reference to specimens and scientific imagery associated with museum culture. The logo for the Muse Exhibit plays off the staff of musical notation, as well as the bold red crescendo shown on top. The “25” is a reference from time signatures and the number of instruments in the exhibit itself.
- Mammal Museum main logo
- Mammal Museum wordmark
- Mammal Museum monogram
- Muse exhibit logo

ADVERTISEMENT
In order to promote the Muse Exhibition I created this thirty second spot ad that incorporated different musical imagery. The bracket theme plays a pivotal role here opening and closing each section to John Coltrane’s “Equinox.” Muse: The Human Experience in 25 Musical Instruments opens at the Mammal Museum in Spring 2017.
WEB DESIGN
The design of the website was aimed to be minimal, highlighting the individual pieces within the exhibition. The color palette of the identity is applied throughout including the bold red monochromatic imagery that seperates this museum from the competition. Informational graphics and helpful plugins such as maps and contact information are also highlighted.