To help mark MIT's 150th Anniversary, the MIT Museum held a groundbreaking exhibition and series of events, called the MIT150 Exhibition. We were hired to design the exhibition's visual identity, the exhibition itself — which was the largest show MIT held to-date. The exhibition included many interactive elements and was organized into 10 themes. It was located in three locations: the Thomas Peterson Gallery, the Comption Gallery, and the Special Collections Library. We also designed the exhibition website, which was connected to the exhibit via QR codes. The MIT150 Exhibition was one of the most well-attended shows ever at MIT.

Following the success of the show, MIT commissioned Malcolm Grear Designers to design the companion book Countless Connecting Threads: MIT's History Revealed Through Its Most Evocative Objects. The book has since sold out, and was available in hard and soft cover editions.

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Malcolm Grear Designers developed the visual identity and graphics standards program for Lifespan—a merger of three Rhode Island hospitals. Today, Lifespan continues to expand its healthcare associations throughout New England. 

The extensive graphics standards program continues to support and grow the Lifespan brand in all forms of visual communication including exterior and interior signage, vehicles, stationery, publications, ad campaigns, websites, uniforms and more.

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Malcolm Grear Designers developed the exterior signs, wayfinding and donor recognition for the entire campus. We have designed the signs, wayfinding, and donor recognition for numerous new buildings and renovations on campus including the George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology, Krupp Library, Elizabeth and Malcolm Chace Wellness and Athletic Center, Ronald K. and Kati C. Machtley Interfaith Center, Karen L. and Michael E. Fisher ’67 Student Center, Bulldog Strength and Conditioning Center, Sports Medicine and Training Center, and Conaty Indoor Athletic Center. We continue to work with Bryant as their campus expands.

MGD also designed Bryant University's alumni magazine, helping to strengthen the Bryant brand to its valued alumni community.

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On the year of their 100th anniversary, the Newport Art Museum asked Malcolm Grear Designers to create a new visual identity to celebrate the occasion. One of the goals of the new visual identity system was to help the museum claim Newport, that is to proudly identify the Museum as a leading cultural destination in Newport and within the New England region—therefore leveraging the tremendous name recognition that Newport already has as a tourist destination.

The new symbol with it’s custom-drawn lowercase letterforms portrays the Newport Art Museum as accessible, welcoming, and friendly while retaining a sense of an established and respected arts institution. The lowercase “a” within the surrounding lowercase “n” symbolically locates “art” inside, and at the heart of, “Newport.”  Because the “a” letterform is the symbol’s counter-form and because of its particular shape and proportion, it gives the illusion of coming forward visually. This helps to communicate that “art” is central to the Newport Art Museum.

Malcolm Grear Designers also developed the Museum's website and exterior signs.

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The Institute of Contemporary Art/Boston selected Malcolm Grear Designers to develop a comprehensive environmental graphics program for their new home—Diller Scofidio + Renfro's bold, cantilevered building on Boston‘s Fan Pier. MGD developed a sign and wayfinding program including identification for its cutting-edge Theater, Art Lab, Water Café, and Store as well as a system of donor named spaces, including the Putnam Plaza. MGD worked closely with the ICA and DS+R to achieve a balance of brand recognition and sensitivity to the unique qualities of the architecture.

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Malcolm Grear Designers has collaborated with The Nature Conservancy in Rhode Island on educational projects throughout the state. The studio designed their quarterly newsletter, “Places of Hope,” as well as tour guides and informational kiosks for their numerous nature trails. 

When The Nature Conservancy bought a small strip of beach in Little Compton, RI in order to protect the piping plover and least tern, two of the state’s most threatened birds who use this shoreline to breed and nest in sandy dunes, MGD was asked to design the Education Center’s building identification sign, interior and exterior exhibit panels, and donor recognition panels.

Teaming up with local scientists, state agencies, and local restaurants, The Nature Conservancy started a project in Rhode Island called “Oysters Gone Wild,” leading an effort to collect discarded oyster shells to build oyster beds in Rhode Island waters, which will provide new habitat for spawning oysters and hopefully restore the wild population of oysters. MGD was asked to create a visual identity for the program, tent cards and postcards to distribute in restaurants, and signs for The Nature Conservancy trucks that collect the shells from restaurants.

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Malcolm Grear Designers developed the Visual Magnetics branding program, including their identity, promotional materials, ads, packaging, trade shows, pop-up exhibits, and websites. 

The branding system is extensive, including VM's commercial/retail product logotypes, pictograms, sustainability programs, as well as branded looks for new product lines, their Dynamic Spaces A+D division, and MagnaMagic—their DIY division.

Visual Magnetics Graphic System is a patented magnetic-receptive graphics solution that enables the creation of photo-quality in-store graphics that can be updated effortlessly—a major breakthrough for the industry. Visual Magnetics is revolutionizing the way retail businesses are producing and installing promotional graphics, with over 200 major brands currently using their system.

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Originally selected to design a visual identity for the Guggenheim Museum, Malcolm Grear Designers was retained for twenty years, creating all of their exhibition catalogues, posters, brochures, invitations, packaging, and signs. Responding to the distinctive circular design of the Frank Lloyd Wright building, the visual image is expressed by an active, non-repetitive graphic that lends itself to an unlimited variety of applications.

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In addition to the individual identities for exhibitions at Brown University's David Winton Bell Gallery, Malcolm Grear Designers creates all related visual communications including invitations, brochures, catalogues, posters, signs, and banners for each exhibition. 

In collaboration with the Gallery we provide exhibition design services including exhibition graphics, chat panels, space planning, displays and labeling.

MGD has also designed the Bell Gallery’s website which features all exhibitions and events as well as searchable permanent collection. Visit the Bell Gallery website.

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Malcolm Grear Designers has designed sign systems, wayfinding, and donor recognition throughout the Brown University campus. Our work spans a wide variety of campus facilities including the iconic Faunce Arch and the Stephen Robert '62 Campus Center, Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, John Hay Library, Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World, Wendell R. Erickson Athletic Center, Nelson Fitness Center, Katherine Moran Coleman Aquatics Center, David J. Zucconi '55 Strength & Conditioning Center, Ittleson Quad, Keeney Quad, J. Walter Wilson Building, Andrews Commons Dining, Brown Bookstore, and more.

For Brown University's 250th Anniversary we created a pop-up exhibit, located at different campus venues throughout the year. We have also designed art labeling/plaques for numerous public art installations.

As part of Brown’s Plan for Academic Enrichment initiative, the “Building Brown” campaign helped transform the core campus, enhancing not only the quality of academic life, but the quality of community life as well. For the duration of these projects, we designed a system of branded construction fence-wrap, directional signs and maps to help both the Brown University community and Providence residents navigate changes in pedestrian traffic caused by construction activities. We continue to develop the system for current campaigns and the changing needs of the campus.

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Brand identity, website, ads, print collateral, and marketing materials for The American Art Fair.

Held annually in New York City, it is the only fair that focuses on American 19th and 20th century works and features hundreds of landscapes, portraits, still lifes, studies, and sculpture exhibited by premier art dealers and galleries.

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Colby College, in Waterville, Maine, is one of the United States premier liberal arts schools. Its stellar reputation for higher education is due in part to its art museum—the Colby College Museum of Art. This museum boasts one of the finest collections of American and contemporary art at any liberal arts school. 

Malcolm Grear Designers designed the identity for the Museum of Art. The Museum embraced the new brand with enthusiasm and retained MGD to design their web site, exterior signs and banners, stationary system, visitor’s guide, brochures, advertisements, donor recognition and merchandise. 

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In 1983, after 122 years of separation caused by the Civil War, all sections of the Presbyterian Church were finally reunited, which brought about the need for a new symbol. After the nine member task force reviewed 46 American designers, Malcolm Grear Designers was awarded the project. The identity, with web-based Graphics Standards, has been implemented nationwide.

Our studio also designed the interior and exterior special area identification signs, stained glass windows for the Presbyterian Church Headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, and completed the redesign of the PC(USA) website by creating a system of templates that provide the look and feel of the site’s 15,000 pages.

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The Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Providence, Rhode Island, now known as “The Vets,” is home to the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra, Festival Ballet Providence and the Providence Singers. On the National Register of Historic Places, The Vets theatre is renowned for its stunning acoustics, intimate size, and exquisite interior space.

As part of the Vets' visual identity system, Malcolm Grear Designers incorporated the letterform of the "V" into a symbol that is lively, radiant, and memorable. The identity includes a range of configurations, a bright color palette, and brand guidelines, providing direction and flexibility for its use in all forms of media.

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We were honored by our selection as one of the five firms, chosen nationally out of over 490, to design the "Look of the Games" for the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games. MGD was also commissioned to design the 31 sports pictograms, the runner’s relay torch, the traveling cauldron, safety lantern, the gold, silver, bronze and commemorative medals, event certificates, and a commemorative poster.

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Malcolm Grear Designers was commissioned by The Wheeler School to create a new identity that would reflect both their vitality and stability. The serif “W” form has strength and classic elegance and encompasses the flame/light, which references “the spirit,” the school’s historic seal and motto, as well as the light of knowledge which sparks the students’ imagination. MGD was retained to design a comprehensive sign system to help delineate the Wheeler campus and build brand awareness in the community.

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Malcolm Grear Designers developed Vanderbilt's visual identity program as part of a broader visual communication program, responding to the University’s ongoing expansion and growing international recognition.

Integrating the historically symbolic imagery of the oak leaf and acorn into the "V" letterform, the design pays tribute to Vanderbilt’s past while also looking forward to its future. The strong image of the oak leaf also evokes the University’s beautiful campus which is also a renowned arboretum.

Once the identity was completed, Malcolm Grear Designers provided a comprehensive Graphics Standards website empowering each of Vanderbilt’s 10 colleges to leverage the new branding system.

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Visual Identity/Branding System, Wayfinding, Interior and Exterior Sign System, Donor Recognition

Recognized as the world’s leading museum of whaling during the "Age of Sail" the New Bedford Whaling Museum was embarking on a large museum expansion and remodeling project when they commissioned Malcolm Grear Designers to develop a new visual identity. While working on the identity assignment, the museum approached Malcolm Grear Designers to create a temporary wayfinding system to be used during construction and renovation. MGD was then retained to design a permanent interior/exterior sign system, as well as a donor recognition system.

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A decade after relocating, the “Attleboro Museum – Center for the Arts,” while establishing a good foundation of programs, lacked the brand recognition needed to bring art, business, and the regional community together for their mutual benefit and growth. The museum hired Malcolm Grear Designers to develop a new visual identity program that would establish the strong visual presence needed to project the seriousness of their mission, and to inform the corporate community of their important role in revitalizing Attleboro.

The symbol’s dependent relationship between the “AA” and “M” creates an active image and, thus, a memorable one. At the recommendation of MGD, the Museum changed their name to the cleaner, simpler Attleboro Arts Museum. Their existing tag-line was also redesigned to emphasize the central word ARTS for everyone.

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Malcolm Grear Designers was selected to create the visual identity for the Department of Health and Human Services in 1980. Viewing it for the first time at its unveiling, President Jimmy Carter commented that he saw the symbol as "the wings of the eagle sheltering the people." In addition to the symbol, Malcolm Grear Designers created a comprehensive Graphics Standards manual for this large government agency.

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In memory of their 355 employees and consultants lost in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, Marsh & McLennan commissioned artist Richard Fleischner to create a place of remembrance within the plaza outside their midtown Manhattan offices. Mr. Fleischner brought in Malcolm Grear Designers to collaborate on the design of the glass wall of names, which is the focal element within the memorial plaza.

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The Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles recently moved into the Aime J. Forand Building in Cranston. The 70,000 square foot headquarters replace the previous and "temporary" DMV that was located in Pawtucket. The new DMV has twenty-eight license and registration counters, a cafe, and provides generous open spaces.

The Aime J. Forand Building was repurposed and renovated by Lerner Ladds Bartels Architects and Dimeo Construction. Malcolm Grear Designers developed the exterior and interior wayfinding system for the building.

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