Responses by Jason Schulte, founder and executive creative director, Office.
Background: Gardens of Golden Gate Park, a new entity formed by the San Francisco Botanical Garden Society and government organization San Francisco Recreation & Parks, unites the iconic Conservatory of Flowers, Japanese Tea Garden and San Francisco Botanical Garden under one organization. It aims to become a world-leading cultural and conservation institution. We worked closely with stakeholders from Gardens of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco Recreation & Parks throughout the process, developing the organization’s brand strategy, visual brand architecture, identity system, website, branded merchandise, signage, key communications and brand guidelines.
Design thinking: Throughout the immersion phase, we heard from stakeholders and experienced firsthand that a walk through the Gardens is full of small surprises that spark joy and wonder. In developing the design language, we tried to evoke a similar response. This meant leaving room for expressiveness and artfulness in the system and pushing past expected solutions to infuse a sense of delight and thoughtfulness in communications. Overall, the visual system is elevated to match the high-quality experience of visiting the Gardens while still feeling wholly approachable and supporting the organization’s intent to be a welcoming place for all.
Challenges: An overarching challenge was to create a cohesive identity system while still highlighting the distinctiveness of each individual garden. The system requires flexibility so that either the main brand or an individual garden brand can take the lead, depending on the communication. We also needed to ensure that the system would be easy for staff and volunteers to implement going forward.
Favorite details: Each year, I take my kids to Flower Piano, an interactive music event at the San Francisco Botanical Garden where we play and listen to pianos hidden throughout the park. Working on something that leaves a mark on the city and that my family is into means a lot. Overall, the visual system reflects the experience of visiting the Gardens themselves, with both big, impactful vibrancy and small, discoverable moments.
New lessons: Living and working in San Francisco for the past 25 years, this was a dream project, designing such an iconic and important part of the city’s culture. During the strategy phase of the project, we talked a lot about the unique influences of San Francisco, a place full of unexpected combinations. It’s a colorful city set against the backdrop of fog, with urban density alongside stunning natural beauty. It’s historic yet progressive, iconic yet always evolving. Similarly, the Gardens of Golden Gate Park is a surprising respite right in the heart of the city, in the middle of one of the country’s greatest urban parks.
Visual influences: The plants in the Gardens. We learned a lot about plants and their vibrant colors throughout the seasons.
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