The Brief

Cloud Factory is a fictional museum concept set in Fiddler’s Ferry Power Plant, all about up-cycled and found objects. The brief was to design a dynamic visual identity for a new museum with the theme of skips.

The Insight 

The idea that one person’s trash is another’s treasure underpins a growing cultural shift toward valuing the old, worn, and imperfect. In a world dominated by mass production, vintage and second-hand items offer authenticity, individuality and narrative depth. These objects carry stories, imperfections, and histories that resonate with a generation craving uniqueness and emotional connection. 

This is especially true for younger generations, with nearly half (48%) of UK adults having bought a second-hand item in the past year, and under-35s almost twice as likely to do so than over-55s (Circular Online, 2024).  Similarly, Forbes highlights that millennials are choosing vintage furniture over fast furniture, noting that "vintage furniture costs up to 80% less, is better made and immediately available and brings character, uniqueness and style to a home. This return to reuse reflects not nostalgia, but a conscious resistance to the disposable.

The Solution

“Isn’t it time we respected our big, bold, steaming towers, where clouds are made?” (The Modernist)

The name Cloud Factory evokes the idea of a dream for a cleaner, greener sustainable future. This factory will now contribute to sustainability where it once filled the air with waste. The brand name comes from a quotation which referred to the poisonous, toxic clouds that once emanated from the industrial towers at Fiddler’s Ferry Power Plant. Situating the museum in this location will instead now signify a healthier atmosphere through the use of recycling.

The typeface was inspired by the geometric shapes of industrial equipment; specifically, the recognisable shape of skips was integrated into the shapes of the letters and the wider brand identity, symbolising recycling and transformation. Skips are associated with waste and unwanted things. To contrast with this, I chose a vibrant colour palette to represent the rejuvenation made possible when disused items are repurposed and up-cycled. Additionally, museums are places where history stops. Yet the museum in this project allows people to revivify items from the past into their present day lives.