The City of North Adams

Identity / Branding / Experiential / Print

In 2014, Stoltze Design was selected to develop a new visual identity, brand strategy, and wayfinding system for the City of North Adams, Massachusetts. Home to the extraordinary Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art, the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, and a dedicated workforce, North Adams offers the welcoming community of a small town with the resources and culture of a big city, set among the natural beauty of the Berkshires. The new visual identity reflects the dynamic, evolving character of North Adams, while celebrating the city’s industrial past and scenic setting. The stated goals were to attract job providers and creative entrepreneurs, give voice to civic pride, and project North Adams as a richly diverse community.

Stoltze developed the community branding through a series of immersive visits and stakeholder meetings. We solicited community input through a public presentation attended by over one hundred residents and business owners. The approved visual identity has been rolled out and now exists in wayfinding and other marketing and communications for the city.