A new “brand tool” for the king of tools

Snap-on
Museum Experience

Kenosha, Wisconsin

Snap-on Incorporated is the leading global innovator, manufacturer and marketer of high-performance tools and other solutions for professional users performing critical tasks. With their centennial anniversary approaching, Kahler Slater designed a museum experience that showcases the Snap-on story. This new and valuable brand experience touchpoint engages with customers, associates, retirees and the community.

Through several workshops with long-tenured associates from the various business functions, we helped Snap-on cultivate stories, prioritize them and then establish the overarching concept of the museum. The design solution enables diverse audiences with varying visit lengths to comprehend the nearly 100-year story. It displays a wide range of artifacts (from hand-held ratchets to a Model-T car) and allows for future growth. The design is intentionally minimal and straightforward, evoking the high quality and precision the company is known for while emphasizing Snap-on’s bold brand colors.

In addition, we created a dual-purpose space that can transform from exhibit space to a fine dining experience for 36 people. For this area, Snap-on fabricated mobile tool boxes that provide storage and display surface and can be wheeled into storage to create space for a truly unique dining experience.

Segd Award
The museum entrance is marked by the founding date engraved into the wall surface.
The original “5 do the work of 50” tool is showcased under glass at the entrance.
Snap-on’s nearly 100-year story lines the museum's wall, taking viewers deeper into the museum space and the Snap-on brand.
A flex space converts from exhibition area to a unique dining room.
Leadership workshops
Early conceptual layout
Cataloging, prioritizing and organizing a century-worth of artifact.
Before space
After space