When the Future Honors the Past
The New Treccani Identity
Antonio Romano
In everyday conversation, when someone says “as Treccani states,” it means that there can be no doubt about a statement because it is ‘certified’ by the country’s most important cultural institution. For us Italians, Treccani is not just the famous Encyclopedia or Dictionary, but something much broader, and so familiar that it doesn’t need any further explanation. The term “branded” refers to everything that requires no additional argument other than the name (of the brand) itself. From these simple reflections, the Treccani brand is recognized, loved, respected, remembered, and thus chosen. In short, it is a true brand.
However, identity, as we all learn over time, is not a static concept; it is not something fixed once and for all. It is a process, a constant evolution, and it requires continuous updating. There is an obligation to remain contemporary, which applies not only to individuals but also to organizations (which, in turn, are made up of people). In five years, Treccani will celebrate its centenary. The Institute of the Italian Encyclopedia was founded in Rome on February 18, 1925, with the aim of providing Italy with its own cultural identity, following the example of what had already been done in other great countries.
Though belated, our nation-building found its highest expression by bringing together the brightest minds of the era.
The first edition of the Encyclopedia was published in 1929, and the 35 volumes it consisted of (plus one index volume) were completed in 1937. The publication turned out to be a success, and since then, the work became an “indoor monument”: professional studies, public offices for top management, and homes of the middle class displayed the volumes as a true status symbol, able to communicate implicitly and immediately the cultural and social prestige of those who owned them. Over time, other works were added to the Encyclopedia, always produced thanks to the efforts of the best scholars in their respective fields. An extraordinary quantity and quality of content were effectively disseminated on the pages of these prestigious volumes, all signed by Treccani. Since 2009, much of that content has explored an alternative channel, the digital one: the Treccani Portal reaches 600,000 unique users per day.
The changes go beyond just this. New thematic areas are being introduced to reach audiences that were traditionally distant from the Treccani world. Additional companies or branches are being acquired to foster effective development in these new activities. Treccani Reti, Treccani Scuola, Treccani Arte, Treccani Libri, Bottega Treccani… these are all initiatives responding to development programs designed to ensure a future for the prestigious history of Treccani. Over these nearly 100 years, Treccani has changed, is changing, and will continue to evolve, all while never betraying the spirit with which it was founded.
To think about a renewed identity representation means reinterpreting this history and embedding it in the vision of the future Treccani aims to establish. To achieve this, a process was initiated, involving a steering committee with resources from various companies and sectors. This way, the needs of each unit were assessed, and the guiding principles for shared convergence were found.
Treccani is now a single brand capable of representing diverse fields: in terms of design, it directly derives from the previous version created by us in 2005, ensuring identity continuity. The ‘tree’ or ‘source’ T has been modified to ensure better legibility even at smaller sizes. Similarly, the name Treccani has been restructured, transitioning from the classic Bodoni font to a more contemporary, clean typeface, Avenir. It’s a Sans Serif font, meaning it lacks serifs, making it easy to read even in very small font sizes.
The reasoning behind these design choices stems from the increasing trend of reading on screens (“glass”) rather than paper. While smartphone monitors are bright and offer stunning resolution, their small size remains a limiting factor. Unlike the previous approach, the new brand will serve as the single signature for the entire system: it will not be linked to the names of the various subsidiaries or business areas. These names are primarily organizational tools, irrelevant to the public, whose priority lies in being part of the Treccani world, regardless of a specific product or service choice. The brand fulfills its signaling and symbolic role more effectively when integrated into a homogeneous and coherent ecosystem, and in this sense, the project draws heavily from the Institute’s history.
All volumes of Treccani’s major works have one common feature: the presence of frames on the covers and spines, often embossed and gold-leafed. This nearly constant element sparked an association, encapsulated in the concept “Treccani, the frame that encapsulates Italian culture.” A compositional framework (a format, as it is called) was then developed, capable of hosting any type of message. Since content is no longer exclusively conveyed through books, the concept of a frame has been expanded to symbolize a “window to contemporaneity and the future” — a depiction that aligns closely with the new Treccani, tasked with navigating the complexities of today’s world.
To ensure variety within the compositional framework, a diverse color palette has been chosen, comprising sixteen colors plus black (the typographic color par excellence). This provides a remarkable range of combinations, both of colors and images (photographs and illustrations). Another linguistic feature is the use of letters arranged in a pattern, paying homage to typography as a reference to the origins of Treccani, which was the custodian of ‘written’ culture. Monogram patterns further complete the visual representation of the new identity, and the combination of all these elements will gradually ensure the recognizability of every touchpoint, even before the content they represent.
The project is still in its application phase and will take time to become visible and tangible. Beyond the brief description provided, it has an ambitious goal: to transform every product or service offered into a “Treccani experience for the customer,” in line with the logic of our time. In this sense, the new identity can be interpreted as the renewed leadership or, if preferred, the blueprint for leadership. Treccani retains and strengthens its position as a benchmark of contemporary knowledge, and thanks to this, it has the ability to inspire its audience. They are the true center of the renowned frame.
