Breaking the bottle

Last fall, HSS collaborated with the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum (EHSSM) to create a refreshed identity system. We began with a carefully designed workshop, fostering co-creation, defining objectives, and building a strong team relationship. Through this process, we gained insight into EHSSM's values and inspiration, exploring target audiences and desired aesthetics. Based on the workshop outcomes, we developed a detailed design brief, aligning our teams and activating the project. We worked iteratively, sharing progress at key milestones, ensuring EHSSM's involvement in the design process as it evolved.

The highlight of the revitalized identity was a new logo, paying homage to the shipyard's history and craftsmanship, inspired by the body plan of the Schooner Columbia, built at the shipyard in 1923. Our visual identity incorporated a color palette and font system inspired by the shipyard itself; its distinct paints, materials, techniques, and motifs. The resulting brand colors and fonts conveyed authenticity and a deep connection to the shipyard's roots.

On June 1, 2023, EHSSM unveiled the identity system alongside the opening of their 2023 season, marking a significant milestone that celebrated the museum's refreshed identity and the start of a new season of exploration.

The collaboration between HSS and EHSSM exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary expertise and co-creation in crafting an identity that authentically represents what it stands for. At HSS, we believe that design identity should be deeply informed by and connected to its subject matter, and that's exactly what our process aimed to achieve. The new logo, together with the thoughtfully curated color palette and fonts, truly captured the shipyard's enduring legacy.