For many years the company had used a logo that was a literal interpretation of their name, with the image of Atlas carrying a fractured Earth. However, many people interpreted it as implying the organization had roots in Ayn Rand-ian philosophy, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
With a mandate of helping the organization to appear more modern, while erasing the existing misconceptions, we developed a logo that reframes the company name in terms of what they’re doing: helping to fix a world that is already fractured.
We were specifically asked to create something that positioned them as an innovative organization, that was at the same time both approachable and dependable. And since their audience consists of a diverse range of artists (both visual and performing) it was important to create something broad enough to encompass everyone.
The resulting logo features a stylized compass rose which signifies that Fractured Atlas, not only acknowledges that the system is broken, but provides navigation & direction, blazing a trail through the mire.The multifaceted icon, which could imply the literal pieces of the fractured atlas, can also be seen as a representation of the diverse audience and the various creative directions in which they are going. The solid, strong square at the middle gives a sense of order to something that would otherwise be chaotic.
We also developed an updated stationery system for them, with the logo playfully bleeding off of the letterhead, and their tagline “Liberate the Artist” in bold text on the back of their business cards.
In addition to the logo we provided a visual update for their website. The challenge here was that the existing backend could not be dramatically changed, so a skin had to be designed that could create an entirely new look based on this updated branding, while conforming to a fairly rigid set of technical and structural parameters. The colors of the logo were used to break up the site into visually distinct sections, that made it easier to navigate the vast amount of information contained within.
Happily they’ve received immediate praise for the new look, when they reached out to the membership about it via their blog shortly after it was launched.
Find out more about Fractured Atlas and see their rebranding in action on their site HERE.