"A Dry Acronym as a Brand: Top Graphic Solutions"

Contents:

• IAAC
• A letter about the love of data, dedicated to the metro

Every month, experts such as teachers, Art directors and designers share their thoughts on contemporary graphic projects that inspired them. In this material, Grigory Khromov presents his cases.

Program director and teacher at the Nizhny Novgorod School of Design, as well as creative director at the branding agency Brand Hub.

IAAC

Mucho, 2025

The Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia has updated its image: the short acronym IAAC has now become a separate brand with the full name Advanced Architecture Barcelona, ​​​​which reflects the essence of the place where prototypes of cities and new materials of the future are developed.

This work is a striking example of the synergy of graphic design and programming: in collaboration with Fil Studio, a generative tool was developed consisting of a basic modular "cell" that is capable of creating endless patterns, animations, and graphic elements. This system demonstrates excellent results both in printed materials (for example, mosaic covers and navigation elements) and in digital projects (complex animations and interactive elements on the new Metódica website), while remaining easily recognizable despite its diverse nature.

The palette creates a contrast between "technology and nature," while the logo's sound design, created using granular synthesis by Facundo Capece, successfully transfers the visual concept into the auditory space. The combination of Clarendon Graphic and FK Grotesk offers a wide range of tones, from strictly academic to practical and functional.

This project places emphasis on functionality: the brand is presented not simply as a collection of graphic materials, but rather as a "transformation constructor", where each version has a right to exist. The only thing that can be discussed is the verbal sign; it could be expressed more clearly to emphasize the radical nature of the institution, but overall this does not weaken the concept.

A Love Letter to Data Dedicated to the Subway

Pentagram (Giorgia Lupi), 2025

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Fulton Center subway in New York City, a design team developed a two-minute data animation that runs simultaneously on 52 screens throughout the subway. This display repeats at the top of each hour. This project illustrates how identity and information visualization can transcend traditional media and integrate into the urban environment.

Each subway line is a unique character with specific behavioral traits based on open data from MTA Arts & Design: age, length, and route. This isn't just data visualization, but a poetic representation of the dynamics of both train and passenger movement.

The conventional diagram is transformed into a dynamic narrative structure of interactions. In fact, it's a new take on a static map, one that becomes a fluid system for orientation and understanding others—a unique example of how "data" truly brings infrastructure closer to human needs.

I love how the lines become something like mascots—welcoming "neighbors" in the urban environment. Graphic design in this context exists in public space, being on the path of everyday life, and is not limited to advertising panels.

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