The updated Coplan Hurowitz visual identity incorporates simplistic visual elements: oversized Helvetica Neue Bold, black copy, thin black dividing lines, a solid white background, and red accents.
Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory also requested consultation about a potential rename of their business. While we considered print-related titles for the business, we ultimately decided that Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory was the clearest name to use.
Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory specializes in contemporary printmaking, so we decided that a modern, minimalist, sans-serif typeface should be used. After review of multiple sans-serif typeface options, we decided that Helvetica Neue Bold would be the strongest font choice. The font is not only modern and legible, but it also references the New York City Subway System’s visual identity, which uses bolded Helvetica throughout its signage. Because Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory focuses primarily on New York City, we decided that this reference was particularly appropriate.
To distinguish the identity from other simplistic visual identities that rely heavily on Helvetica, we chose to use extra-large typography for titles. Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory is proud to hold a strong voice within New York City’s contemporary art scene, making the bold, oversized typography feel fitting.
The previous visual identity of Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory relied predominantly on bright reds. We decided to maintain this signature color in the updated visual identity to feel less disconnected from the business’s previous work. Although in the older visual identity the business used a number of different shades of red to distinguish separate information, we decided to use only one shade of red as an accent color in the new identity. After consideration of multiple shades of bright and dark red, we settled on RGB red for its eye-catching brightness and versatility.
Previously, Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory had used a circular logo made of the letters “C” and “H.” Because this logo felt aesthetically dated and formally confusing, we decided to create a new logo, featuring the words “Coplan,” “Hurowitz,” “Art,” and “Advisory” for maximum clarity. By stacking these four words in Helvetica Neue Bold, we created a balanced logo that maintained the typography of the new visual identity. Moreover, by setting “Coplan Hurowitz” in RGB red and “Art Advisory“ in black, we created a typographic hierarchy that utilized the new accent color.
The Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory website redesign features the updated visual identity: oversized page headings, a typography-first composition, red accents in the page headings and hyperlinks, and thin black lines separating sections of information. The site design is formally simplistic to allow the text and images to speak for themselves, and the layout is versatile to allow the addition of diverse types of projects.
Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory has periodically requested miscellaneous printed and digital matter, such as their invoices, business cards, and email signature, in their updated visual identity.
The heavy use of typography throughout the site –– especially typography in such a ubiquitous font –– threatened to make the visual identity feel generic. However, by accentuating the titles with extra-large text and by adding dividing lines between sections of information, we helped solidify the Coplan Hurowitz Art Advisory visual identity and distinguish it from other contemporary graphic design.
Using images of artwork with which the art advisory has worked was a challenge. Frequently, our image crops or edits in the website infringed on alteration of the artwork, a serious offense in the world of contemporary art. We made sure to represent all artworks in their raw, unedited form in the creation of the website.
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