Placed under the direct authority of the Minister of Culture, the General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs (IGAC) carries out inspection, control, evaluation, study and mediation missions. It also acts as an advisory, support, audit, investigative and expert body. Its main role is to ensure that cultural resources are properly managed, that projects are relevant and that public policies are in line with the sector’s needs.

Its role also consists of identifying any malfunctions and bringing them to the attention of the Minister of Culture through reports, in order to propose concrete measures for improving public service. Through its reports, analyses, and data, the inspectorate informs, guides, and improves cultural policies. The visual identity highlights this expertise by making it legible, accessible, and meaningful.

Bringing out the invisible

As part of a public commission, we designed a logo that met the visual identification needs of the IGAC, which wanted to revamp its image. Composed of two blocks of color evoking superimposed pages or a folded sheet, it suggests both a bookmark or a post-it note—symbols of reference and revelation—as well as a page being turned, an image of cultural renewal and a new chapter to be written. Its double-sided structure, with the IGAC acronym on one side and the typographic block on the other, gives it great flexibility.

Its modularity means it can be adapted to a wide range of surfaces.

The aim is to reveal what lies beneath the surface: to shed light on the often overlooked aspects of the IGAC’s work. Through its reports, data, and analyses, the aim is to show both the general public and industry players the purpose of inspections: to enlighten, guide, and improve. This graphic tool aims to bring the invisible to light, to highlight expertise by making it readable, accessible, and meaningful.

Narrating through matter

We developed an iconography specific to the IGAC, specifically designed to accompany its visual identity. Particular attention was paid to the materiality of paper, echoing the numerous reports produced by the inspectorate. The grain, texture and movement produced by the accumulation of sheets of paper, as well as the photographic zooms, lend a sensitive, almost poetic dimension to the supports.

Our approach was to conjure up an abstract, evocative imagination to counterbalance the apparent rigor of the inspection subject.
These deliberately non-literal images provide a visual breath of fresh air and contribute to IGAC’s unique identity.

In this way, we’ve built up a veritable bank of images, processed in monochrome or bichrome, which we can draw on as required.

This visual “toolbox” makes it possible to dress up different media in a coherent, expressive and adaptable way.

A graphic system in motion

We designed the visual identity by adapting it to various media in order to better anticipate its practical application, including report covers and interior pages, invitation card designs, and templates dedicated to social media posts.

Marianne typography was chosen for its clarity and efficiency. Functional, it is also deeply rooted in the cultural field, affirming institutional identity while remaining accessible.

The chromatic palette is based on shades of blue, directly associated with the Ministry of Culture. They convey an official, serious and credible aesthetic, without becoming rigid. Green, in contrast, introduces a note of innovation. It symbolizes cultural renewal and openness to the future.