Gearbox | functional creative

Case Study

Great River
Children’s
Museum

Brand Identity

The challenge

Great River Children’s Museum is working to create a 25,000-square-foot space in downtown St. Cloud where children and their caring adults can create, explore, discover and be inspired through the extraordinary power of play. The museum’s newly formed Board of Directors came to us in need of a brand identity that would align with the museum’s mission. 

Our first step was to work with the Board to develop brand positioning. Through this process, we uncovered the need for a brand that evokes feelings of creativity, fun, inspiration, inclusion and wonder. We also set out to incorporate the museum’s connection to the river and give a nod to the natural world and nature-based experiences, as those would likely play an important role in the museum’s exhibits and activities.

The solution

The brand logo we created features big, bold letters that mimic the shape and feel of building blocks. The blocks incorporate fun, colorful patterns that add depth and interest. The patterns include natural elements such as the river, foliage and layers of the earth. These branding elements were the foundation of architectural planning that’s still in progress.

What we did
Branding
Print
Environmental

Sara McKeever
Great River Children’s Museum Board Member

“The Great River Children’s Museum enjoyed going through the branding process with Gearbox. Their team listened to our vision for a playful design that incorporated natural elements. The designs they created captured that well. We are thrilled with the final product, the responsiveness we’ve experienced working with them, and the feedback we’ve already received after the launch.”

The best brand identities make every application feel like a natural extension of the logo.