Logo Review: New Look for the New York Public Library

The New Look of the NYPL

The new visual identity reflects the accessibility and dynamism of today’s library.  – Paul Leclerc, NYPL President

Recently, the New York Public Library introduced a brand new identity designed by their in-house graphics team, headed by Marc Blaustein. Based on the well-known lion statues outside of the library, the new logo is intended to emphasize openness, momentum and a progressive attitude. Paul LeClerc, NYPL President, had this to say about the new logo: “The new visual identity reflects the accessibility and dynamism of today’s library.”

Blaustein and his in-house staff made initial steps towards the full redesign of the logo in 2008. The process began with creating a multitude of sketches and taking dozens of photographs of the statues from various angles and vantage points to capture the lions’ different forms. These sketches and photographs were then translated into dozens of concepts, ranging in style from realistic to conceptual, drawing additional cues and inspiration from 16th century printers marks, Japanese woodcuts and a variety of other sources.

Though simple, this new mark is extremely refined and embodies a wonderful sense of history. It’s simplicity also makes it very versatile, it can be used at a wide range of sizes and in both different forms and colors. What makes this logo and their process even more unique is the fact that you can see the progression of its realization on YouTube. The video gives us a wonderful opportunity to see firsthand just how much time and thought goes into the design process, and how rewarding this process can be.