Project brief: When the Qatar Museums Authority (QMA) and the Qatar Foundation (QF) partnered to adopt His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed bin Ali Al Thani’s private collection of more than 6,000 pieces of modern and contemporary Arab art, their objectives were to build an institution that would instigate an Arab art movement in the world; to become the leading voice on Arab modern and contemporary art in the region and beyond; and to facilitate interest and dialogue about Arab art among artists, scholars and the general public.

Approach: We partnered with the QMA and QF to help build the entire brand for the Museum. We took a deep dive into the growing world of the arts in the Arab world, met with artists, scholars and art enthusiasts from the region and mapped out the international competitive set. Based on these insights we developed the brand idea, “Ideas Welcome,” where art is inspired by ideas and ideas are inspired by art. The ambition was to create a digital museum with a physical space, where people can engage with art beyond the physical space in Doha, Qatar. We worked with poets, artists and cultural experts to create the new brand identity, the new name, Mathaf (museum in Arabic) and two typefaces in Arabic and English. We designed the digital experience, including website architecture, wire frames and layout. We worked closely with the architect to craft a holistic museum experience from signage to the design of the napkins in the cafeteria. We produced thought-provoking items for the museum gift shop and created a range of marketing collateral and advertising campaigns.

Effectiveness: It is still early to quantify the success of Mathaf as the official opening took place on December 30, 2010. As of February 2011, Mathaf already had 2,000 fans on Facebook and strong interest from the region. H.E. Sheikha Mayassa complimented us for having built such a strategically considered and cohesively delivered brand: “I believe the arts and Mathaf have a role to play in building a new identity for Qatar, but one that’s rooted in tradition.”

Fresh, fun. Feels open, inviting and conversational. Forward-looking.