The Prompt
In January of 2019, I began a design exercise of creating an exhibition logo, or title wall design, for 27 different shows.
After completing the logo challenge, I selected one exhibition logo to expand into a fictional exhibition branding suite. Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People is on view at the San Diego Natural History Museum. This exhibit is described on their website:
Extraordinary Ideas from Ordinary People: A History of Citizen Science highlights naturalists—both past and present—and the impact their work and observations has had on science as we know it today… The overarching theme of Extraordinary Ideas is a simple one: you do not need to be a scientist to participate in science.
The Design
The initial exhibition logo I created focused on connection; connecting people and connecting the dots to discover new ideas. I looked at diagrams of plant cells and atoms to visualize connection in nature and those common in science teaching. The repeating “o” in the title was a useful tool to illustrate connection and a visual element that could be easily versatile for other elements.
After the logo was finalized, I built a branding suite that would support the themes of connection, science, and learning. Colors and type were designed to be bold, modern, and exciting. The green leaf image became a secondary visual element to indicate nature and science along with the connecting circles.