The CJM Blog

Installation view of  J. Otto Seibold and Mr. Lunch.  Photo by Johnna Arnold. As part of San Francisco Design Week (SFDW), former CJM Design Studio designer (and founder)  Brad Aldridge gave a design talk in The Museum on designing The Museum —everything  from identity graphics to exhibitions. For The CJM Blog, we asked him to elaborate on his design philosophy, on collaborating with others, and more. _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. What was your approach to creating the identity for exhibitions at The CJM? How did this differ depending on the scale, scope, and content of exhibitions? The first thing to capture as a designer in a museum is the idea that whole place is a big giant storybook. It’s a lot of different voices trying to guide visitors to have a great journey of discovery, learning, and—on an even more pure level—have a great edifying time. So, as designer, I have to always remember that e...

Installation view of The Library of Particular Significance. Photo by Johnna Arnold. Artist Josh Greene's two-part exhibition Bound to Be Held: A Book Show celebrates the relationship between a reader and a book. One part of the exhibition, The Library of Particular Significance (LPS), focuses on instigating social interaction by recasting the gallery as a lending-library of donated "significant" books—a space for dwelling, reading, and connecting. A series of related public programs called In The Library of Particular Significance enlivens the space with read-ins, book discussions, and literary happenings led by special guests. This Friday from 12:30-1pm , Michael Carabetta — Creative Director at Chronicle Books — will be speaking on the secrets of book design. Get to know Carabetta before his talk, including which book he donated to  The LPS and why. _________________________________________________________________________________ 1. In six words, tell us wh...

Title wall. Photo by Gary Sexton. Brian Scott is the Creative Director of Boon Design, and of our newest exhibitions which deal with the concept of utopia. We asked Brian what inspired this project, and he responded with a self-interview. Presenting Brian Scott interviewing Brian Scott on his process:   What was your approach to creating the identity for the exhibitions Work in Progress: Considering Utopia and To Build & Be Built: Kibbutz History ? I prefer to build from a typographic foundation, which helps to set a tone and tactile presence that we can then expand upon. For The Contemporary Jewish Museum, I first thought about the era during which the first kibbutzim were established, the early 1900s. What was the typography of that era? Was there a modernist typographic equivalent that shared an idealism with these the kibbutz pioneers? I believe that Paul Renner's font Futura (1928) embodies some of these utopian pursuits—Futura strives for geometric balance and h...