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Orpheum Theatre
Raising the curtain on 100 years of the arts
After more than a century of performances, the Orpheum launched its most ambitious goal to date: fully renovating the historic landmark to its original glory and readdressing its identity design for a new era.
The theater raised over $10 million and assembled a group of restoration experts to update the grand, proto-atmospheric venue. A second group was brought in to update the historic branding (hint: Gardner Design). Our team got to work envisioning a refreshed identity that honored the Orpheum’s storied past while matching the energy of its bright future.
Logo Wordmark
The design process started with auditing the logo.
Having aided the Orpheum in marking their 100th anniversary, our team was already familiar with the Orpheum’s design language, creative DNA, and cultural significance. For the wordmark, retaining the iconic lettering of the Orpheum’s marquee was a no-brainer and served as a link to the theater’s remarkable legacy. The letterforms were redrawn and refined for greater consistency and legibility, preserving their character across the new identity.
Logo Icon
We used our keen insight to explore icons that could modernize their brand and help it function well into their second century.
Gardner Design’s own minimalist logo expert, Tyler Frisbee, identified the elements that could be carried across into a broader brand language. He started by scribbling rough “back-of-napkin” sketches as he worked through several key visual elements that could be highlighted. These sketches evolved into increasingly refined forms that became multiple fully-developed logo icon concepts.
The chosen logo gets its inspiration from the distinct architectural proscenium, distilling the arches into one compact seal.
It can be read as the stage itself, while the nested forms also suggest sound radiating into the room and a century of performances still echoing. Repeated across other graphic layouts, the minimalist arches become an adaptable framework for typography and imagery that becomes easily identifiable. With art direction from senior designer Adam Anderson and creative director Bill Gardner, the end result is a logo that both pays homage to the rich legacy of the theater and the bright future of the next 100 years.
Color Palette
One of the most recognizable qualities of any brand is color. The Orpheum’s palette feels classic while evoking energy and boldness.
Brand Language: Visual Details
When architect John Eberson designed the Orpheum in 1922, painstaking care was put into every detail—on the walls, in the shape, and even in the acoustics.
Our team followed his lead in crafting the details of the visual identity. The color palette and quatrefoil pattern are drawn from the restored interior. Gold, black, and warm neutrals carry the theater’s historic weight; brighter combinations modernize its vibrant spirit to match contemporary music, film, comedy, and live performances.
Nailing every detail resulted in a picturesque brand full of life and energy. From the bold color scheme to the astute use of shape and form, the visual details add depth to the brand language that would have made Eberson proud.
The Website
The objectives for the Orpheum’s new website were to fully carry out the visual branding and extend the team’s capabilities for what comes next.
For an organization like a theater, the website serves as the singular authority on event dates, times, policies, and the answers to a hundred questions. As with every project, our team put special attention toward constructing a user-friendly website, with custom features that make information easy to find and, for the Orpheum team, easy to update.
wichitaorpheum.com
Eye for the Details
Motion effects grab attention and further the brand identity.
Our digital director, Jay Walter, played with subtle animations and micro-interactions to add interest and enrich the design. “Our focus is always on the experience that real people have on a website,” said Walter. “We can’t ignore SEO and the algorithms that help you get found online, but we’re ultimately creating something that appeals to humans—the visuals and the words are meant to resonate on a deeper level.”
In the website design, the pulsating animation not only represents the iconic stage shape but also reflects the gentle flow of drawing a curtain open and closed.
Highlighting the History
History buffs love the Orpheum.
As one of only a few remaining Orpheum Theatres in the country, its rich architectural history and cultural legacy draw enthusiasts from across the US. During the website process, we gathered historical photos and took the time to dive deeper into the highs and lows of its past. Significant performances, restoration campaigns, and other interesting tidbits from the Orpheum’s history all find a place on the website’s immersive History page.
Stacee Olden, Executive Director
“We were thrilled to work with the brand experts at Gardner Design to create a rich and vibrant digital presence that honors the history of the Orpheum while looking forward.”
Wichita Orpheum Theatre
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Social Media
In addition to the website, the theater’s social media plays a significant role in connecting its community.
Gardner Design helped equip the Orpheum’s team with design templates and brand guidelines that they are now using to manage their social media presence. When the building closed for nearly 12 months, the Orpheum had everything they needed to keep their social channels primed so they could hit the ground running after the hiatus.
The Dark Tour
The Dark Tour: it’s the only kind of tour you can host when your theater goes dark for year-long renovations.
The Orpheum looked to our team for guidance and creativity on keeping their audiences engaged throughout the theater’s 12-month closure. The Dark Tour series highlighted recognizable performers that graced the Orpheum’s stage in its first hundred years. The series launched with a Batman-esque teaser with coiled music and a run-through of performance photos.
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The Results
Few buildings in the country have a soul like the Orpheum.
The memories, the music, the noteworthy performances: they all blur together with the grandeur and brilliance of which legends are made.
When the time came to unveil the new brand language, the curtain rose on a brand identity predestined to be iconic, one that not only reflects its historical significance as a beacon for the arts but also sets the stage for a second century as magnificent as the first.
