Branding | Project 1 — Research

Name: The National Museum of Funeral History

Slogan: “Any day above ground is a good one.®”

Mission Statement: “Honoring the compassion and dedication of the funeral services industry has been the Museum’s mission since it began in 1992. Today, the Museum continues to enlighten visitors on one of man’s oldest cultural rituals and celebrate the heritage of the funeral services industry.

Discover America’s largest collection of authentic historical funeral service items in 19 permanent exhibits. Learn about hearses through history, caskets and coffins, plus the funerals of Presidents, Popes and celebrities and the history of embalming and cremation while you witness the cultural heritage of the funeral service industry and its time-honored tradition of compassion.”

Website also contains information on Power of Attorney, writing obituaries, writing eulogies, and other topics of interest for people involved in the funerary rites of a loved one.

My mindmap of concepts.

Full logo (“NMFH” often used in isolation).

Museum brochure, page 1.

Museum brochure, page 2.

Novelty urn key chain charm for sale. A bit of dark humor.

T-shirt for sale.

Shot glass for sale.

History of Embalming exhibit.

Presidential Funerals permanent exhibit.

History of Cremation permanent exhibit.

History of Cremation permanent exhibit.

Coffins and Caskets of the Past permanent exhibit. Contains information on how coffins and caskets were made in the early 20th century and bizarre coffins and caskets, such as this one made with coins and dollar bills and a coffin built for three people.

Post-Mortem Photography permanent exhibit.

Jazz Funerals of New Orleans permanent exhibit.

Coffin USB drive for sale.

Sign outside the museum.

Another outdoor sign.

Official podcast album cover.

Every episode’s little graphic is formatted like this, with a photo showing through these five lines.

From here on out are miscellaneous reference images and design inspiration.

Candle arrangement?

The Order of the Good Death website.

Podcast by Gateway Funeral Services

Funeral Procession by Ellis Wilson

A burial shroud with flowers.

Could use simplistic stained glass style to evoke funerary traditions.

Susanna Jaynes’ 1776 gravestone (https://www.sevendaysvt.com/arts-culture/what-lies-beneath-the-cryptic-symbology-of-old-new-england-tombstones-39371788)

The following are my own photos of tombstones.

Could allude to tombstone shape with curved text in the style of older tombstones without literally creating a tombstone outline.