Oregon Symphony, 2025
Branding & Identity
The Passionate, Knowledgeable, Tour Guide. Oregon Symphony is redefining what a symphony can be: bold, community-driven, and distinctly Portland.
The new brand identity captures the rhythm and emotion of live performance through conductor patterns that visualize movement and flow. Grounded in Oregon Green, the system balances warmth and sophistication, reflecting the city’s creative spirit while fostering connection and belonging.
Now live across the Symphony’s platforms, the identity brings harmony to every touchpoint, both on stage and online.
Explore it at orsymphony.org ↗
Project Description
For the Oregon community, The Oregon Symphony is the musical institution that best delivers on building connections and fostering a sense of belonging. As the organization expanded its programming to include innovative performances and community-centered events, it needed a brand identity that could capture both the artistry of its music and the city’s dynamic, forward-thinking spirit.
The identity system draws inspiration directly from music itself. Conductor patterns trace the flow and rhythm of performance, creating a visual language that is dynamic, adaptable, and expressive. These patterns act as guides across layouts, digital interfaces, and environmental graphics, creating a sense of movement while maintaining clarity and cohesion. A palette led by Oregon Green conveys energy and confidence, while secondary colors provide balance and versatility. Typography, motion, and spatial systems work together to support storytelling and guide audiences through both practical and emotional experiences of the brand. Photography and imagery are grounded in realism, capturing both the craft of performance and the human moments that make the Symphony experience relatable and emotionally engaging.
The new identity is now live and fully implemented across the Symphony’s digital platforms, print materials, and environmental graphics, offering a consistent, cohesive, and modern presence for the organization. It reflects Oregon Symphony’s mission to innovate, inspire, and engage, while staying true to its roots as a vital cultural institution for Portland. The identity can be explored on their official website.
Contribution
Evolving the design system and brand experience:
Creating modular UI and web components that embody the core identity, ensuring cohesion across digital and print channels. Implemented across UI/UX (interaction design, prototypes), Branding (visual language, tone, audience engagement), Identity (typography, modular logos), and Web Modules (responsive, interactive design)
Team
Fictive Kin, Design:
Josh Smith, Kim Inthirath, Gemma O’Connor, Daniela Alvarez Nuñez, and more
Fonts
Neulis Neue - Adam Ladd Design
Helvetica Now - Monotype
Arial - Monotype