Dallas Museum of Art

Located in the heart of Dallas’s arts district, the Dallas Museum of Art is among the 10 largest museums in the United States. It has established itself through research and innovation, and by engaging the public with exhibitions, lectures, concerts, literary events, and dramatic and dance presentations. As an always-free institution, the DMA opens its doors to all, so that everyone can enjoy its more than 24,000 works of art, which span 5,000 years of history and a full range of world cultures.

Art is yours.

THE CHALLENGE

The DMA’s leaders contacted Ologie to help tell the museum’s story in a contemporary, inclusive way. Despite its always-free admission, the DMA, like most art museums, had an outside reputation as a walled-off, ivory-tower institution. Convincing the general public that it was an accessible and worthwhile investment of their time remained a serious challenge.

It became clear that, for those considering a visit to the museum, we needed to shift the conversation and highlight an inviting, active experience of discovery and possibility. But for audiences who were either unfamiliar with or unaware of what the DMA had to offer, we first had to overcome the perception that art and the museum were “not for me.”

THE SOLUTION

We crafted a powerful story around a bold statement that positioned the DMA as not just a 21st-century museum, but a 21st-century brand. We addressed the perception challenge head on — saying plainly that “art is yours,” and “there is always something at the DMA for you.”

The central narrative became “Imagine your journey,” a concept that takes potential visitors through the DMA and awakens their inner curiosity and wonder. We spoke to the breadth and depth of experiences available at the museum, putting the visitor in the driver’s seat of their relationship with art. Rather than casting a wide net and trying to reach everyone at once, we spoke to audiences at the individual level, with language that emphasized “you” and “your.” Through this sort of hyper-personalization, we achieved the kind of inclusivity the DMA desired.

Visually, we reinforced this story by using “journey lines”: a dynamic device that traced overlapping paths and portrayed conversations between artgoers and the art itself. With colorful lines that weave in and out, connect experiences, and frame key ideas, this graphic element showed visitors the possibilities within the DMA, and became the cornerstone of an interactive design language.