This week, as part of the kick-off to the “Bringing Stories To Life” community fundraising campaign, the North Vancouver Museum and Archives revealed our new visual identity and name — MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver.

We caught up with Barry Duncan from North Vancouver’s If Communications for a quick Q+A on the inspiration behind the new visual identity.

What was the inspiration for the new name and visual identity?

“MONOVA is a unique name created by using an acronym derived from “Museum Of NOrth VAncouver.”  It stood out as the clear choice as it is easy to say, memorable, feels contemporary and speaks directly to who and what the museum is. We knew it would likely lead to a contemporary typographic wordmark which could embody the character of the museum by being playful and suggesting a sense of exploration.

“The identity which was ultimately chosen was created to visually reflect the landscape of North Vancouver; the wordmark dips below, and rises above a “horizon” or “shoreline” inspired by the importance of the water and the mountains which both play such an important part in all the stories of North Vancouver’s history, and future.”

What was your process for creating the brand?

“We largely followed our typical brand creation process; first learning as much as we could about the museum and archives and what they offer the community. We then collaboratively defined its attributes, character and audience before moving through naming, creative strategy, and design phases.

“Once we had a clear consensus on all of these aspects we started on a series of execution projects to bring the brand to life on the many touch points required to launch a brand physically and digitally.” 

How do you think it reflects the North Vancouver community?

“We hope that we’ve created a flexible identity system that both visually suggests the landscape and industry that has shaped North Vancouver, while also encouraging a sense of intrigue, curiosity and exploration.

“Importantly, it also reflects the thinking, character, and interests of a wide range of collaborators – as you can imagine, a project such as this has a large and varied stakeholder group, who all worked together to bring a shared vision to life.”

What’s next for the team at If Communications? 

“We are currently in the planning phase of 2021 with many of our clients and the overall consensus seems to be optimistic. With COVID-focused messaging fatigue setting in with consumers, 2021 is looking to revert back to roots and core messaging platforms for many.

“We’ve also recently landed a couple of new and exciting start-up clients, so coming in on the ground floor and helping them discover who they are and developing that brand is always very exciting for us.”

Located at 115 West Esplanade in the heart of North Vancouver’s Shipyards District, MONOVA: Museum of North Vancouver will be the new home of the restored Streetcar 153, a stunning new cedar carving of Sch’ich’iyuy (The Two Sisters) by Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) carver Wade Baker, and will be full of interactive multimedia exhibits and innovative programming. The Museum will join the Archives of North Vancouver in Lynn Valley as MONOVA’s second location.  

To support the introduction of the new brand, MONOVA is inviting the community to share their stories on social media using the hashtag #NorthVanStories. The contributions will be part of a digital collection that will be preserved for future generations to explore, study and understand the diversity, strength, and creativity of the North Vancouver community.