The Richard H. Driehaus Museum To share his passion for how buildings and objects are made, Richard Driehaus established a museum housed in a Gilded Age mansion. The museum is a premier example of historic preservation offering visitors an experience of how the prevailing design philosophies of the period were interpreted by artists, architects and designers during the closing decades of the 19th century in Chicago.
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum
For a new institution, development of these strategic tools is very useful to staff members hired to attract visitors and shape museum programming. The Driehaus Museum process was intriguing, as we needed to balance expression of a personal passion with a sustainable institutional vision.
The mission statement is the root for the other verbal tools that include a vision statement and positioning text directed to a range of audiences—some with a passion for design, others curious about a Chicago cultural destination.
The Richard H. Driehaus Museum
The museum had been operating for a number of months when we were approached to assist them. Without a formalized brand strategy, it was difficult for the director to advertise and promote programs, let alone establish a sustainable presence in Chicago’s diverse cultural landscape. Our first project was a small publication exhibiting the mansion in its original context and relating the founder’s vision for historic preservation. We then turned to developing the brand.