In Regrets Only’s considered identity for MoMA Members, a path guides both the eye and the heart

When you see the identity of MoMA Members, the first thing you’ll probably notice is a linear path – it’s everywhere, and cuts and threads through everything. The line or the path was born out of the deep research that Boston-based studio Regrets Only undertook when designing the identity for the celebrated museum’s membership programme. “During our research, we came across an experiment MoMA conducted over a decade ago called “I went to MoMA and…” It was a simple yet powerful prompt inviting visitors to fill in the blanks and share their museum experience on note cards,” Designer Ariana Gupta tells us. “The responses ranged from playful to deeply personal, and revealed how visiting MoMA meant something different to each individual. “Your MoMA” was our translation of that insight, and guided the identity which celebrates the personal connections members make with art and each other, and as a result discovering a museum that is uniquely their own.” The idea of “Your MoMA” led the team to the path – a through-line that represents how, as a member, “you can mix and mingle, find meaning, and connect ideas – both to move, and to find more of what moves you.” The path is used cleverly across different touchpoints such as the posters; in a moving poster, the lines turn into the hands of a ticking clock that talks about exclusive early access for members to the museum. In developing the idea further, the team also created different personas, and animated the paths to match their character. “These personas were developed as ways of illustrating how each path is a reflection of the journey of each unique member which is different from person to person, but also every time you visit the museum,” says Creative Director Caleb Halter. “Sometimes you want to sweep every corner of every gallery (The Roomba), other times you might want to drop in just to see your favourite piece (The Beeline), and at others, you might float from floor to floor (The Hummingbird).” The team set the wordmark in the museum’s proprietary typeface MoMA Sans and worked with it throughout the brand to maintain consistency. However, the identity for Members had a task – it had to tie in with MoMA’s overarching brand world, and yet offer something that the museum’s patrons hadn’t seen before. “Balancing the Membership’s distinct identity with MoMA’s legacy was key,” says Gupta. “As with the wordmark, MoMA Sans naturally anchored the typography, so we introduced variation through dynamic and irregular text alignments and compositions to create a sense of movement. While MoMA’s core palette is rooted in bold primaries, we developed a nuanced range of complex colours to reflect the depth of the Membership experience while honouring MoMA’s commitment to accessibility.”