Public School 9 Brand Identity

Public School 9, located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, serves students from Pre-K to fifth grade. The school encourages exploration to help students achieve lifelong success. The PS9 auditorium foyer houses Vincent Cavallaro’s glass mosaic “Man in Space”, which highlights advancements in space exploration and reminds students of the value of science and discovery. While PS9 has always been very clear on who it is and what it stands for, it lacked a cohesive brand identity that communicated these values to a wider audience.

The challenge was for PS9’s new visual identity to embody the spirit of exploration while still standing strong as an academic institution first. The visual identity needed to resonate with parents, teachers, and students alike. Making the brand feel youthful and fun yet academic and reliable was a delicate balance to get right. Another key element to consider was ease of use: The brand identity would be used by busy teachers who didn’t have time to fuss over a complex system. As a result, the new PS9 brand needed to be clean and impactful.

The new brand identity for PS9 is anchored in a simple grid system. This not only creates a strong framework for easy use but also evokes a sense of structure and academic authority. PS9 illustrations encourage exploration by celebrating the imperfect: The outline and fill are slightly offset to create a misprint effect. Custom patterns add another layer of playfulness, and their brush styles reference materials one would find in a classroom. The type system alternates between two headline fonts: An academic yet approachable serif, Mackinac by P22, is combined with a bold sans serif, Nichrome by Mass-Driver. Nichrome was designed to reference typography in 1970’s sci-fi paperbacks, acting as another subtle nod to the PS9 space mosaic. 

PS9 patterns, illustrations, and its vibrant color palette evoke whimsy, while strong typography and uncluttered layouts highlight PS9’s commitment to academic excellence. The resulting brand identity is simple yet striking, reflecting PS9’s core values and giving it a strong, confident visual presence within the community.