Culture
· Brand identity
Smithsonian: National Museum of the American Latino
From
From: A museum with no building yet
From: A museum with no building yet
From: A museum with no building yet
From: A museum with no building yet
To
An identity that carries the story on its own
Client
Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino
Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino
Agency
Meraki Communications Group · Ogilvy
Meraki Communications Group · Ogilvy
My role
Co-creative direction
Co-creative direction
Years
2025
2025
Fig. 01
The identity applied to a street mural.
01
The gap
The gap
The museum speaks for more than 60 million Latinos in the U.S.: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central and South American, Afro-Latino and Indigenous. One identity had to hold all of them without flattening anyone. It also had to look unmistakably Smithsonian, and work before the building exists.
The museum speaks for more than 60 million Latinos in the U.S.: Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central and South American, Afro-Latino and Indigenous. One identity had to hold all of them without flattening anyone. It also had to look unmistakably Smithsonian, and work before the building exists.
On one side
The Smithsonian, one of the most recognized institutional brands in the world
On one side
The Smithsonian, one of the most recognized institutional brands in the world
On the other
More than 60 million Latinos in the U.S., with many histories and visual cultures
On the other
More than 60 million Latinos in the U.S., with many histories and visual cultures
02
The translation
The translation
The idea that crossed
Something Latinos would recognize as theirs.
The idea that crossed
Something Latinos would recognize as theirs.
What we made
Primary and secondary logos
A color palette drawn from Latino cultural influences
Custom typography
Patterns and graphic elements
Brand guidelines for print, digital, merchandise, environmental and future museum spaces
The work started with listening: interviews with Smithsonian leadership, workshops with cultural advisors and community voices, and a close study of Latino art and design history. Every color combination was tested for contrast in digital and print, and checked by people with color vision deficiencies. A museum for all Latinos has to be readable by all of them.
What we made
Primary and secondary logos
A color palette drawn from Latino cultural influences
Custom typography
Patterns and graphic elements
Brand guidelines for print, digital, merchandise, environmental and future museum spaces
The work started with listening: interviews with Smithsonian leadership, workshops with cultural advisors and community voices, and a close study of Latino art and design history. Every color combination was tested for contrast in digital and print, and checked by people with color vision deficiencies. A museum for all Latinos has to be readable by all of them.
Fig. 02
The identity’s logo animation: the radial pattern resolves into the logo.
Fig. 02
The identity’s logo animation: the radial pattern resolves into the logo.
Fig. 03
The official palette: four primary and four secondary colors, with their values.
Fig. 03
The official palette: four primary and four secondary colors, with their values.
Fig. 04
The radial and vertical patterns of the identity.
Fig. 04
The radial and vertical patterns of the identity.
Fig. 05
The icon system, in linear, solid and contained styles.
Fig. 05
The icon system, in linear, solid and contained styles.
Fig. 06
The identity applied to a glass facade.
Fig. 06
The identity applied to a glass facade.
Fig. 07
The identity applied to wayfinding signage.
Fig. 07
The identity applied to wayfinding signage.
Fig. 08
The identity applied to stationery.
Fig. 08
The identity applied to stationery.
Fig. 09
The identity applied to an app icon.
Fig. 09
The identity applied to an app icon.
Fig. 10
The identity applied to social posts.
Fig. 10
The identity applied to social posts.
Fig. 11
Blue palette with its contrast ratings.
Fig. 11
Blue palette with its contrast ratings.
Fig. 12
Warm palette with its contrast ratings.
Fig. 12
Warm palette with its contrast ratings.
Fig. 13
The identity at full height on the Arts and Industries Building.
Fig. 13
The identity at full height on the Arts and Industries Building.
Fig. 14
Two banners on the south face, from the Mall.
Fig. 14
Two banners on the south face, from the Mall.
03
What happened
What happened
A complete identity system for the Smithsonian’s newest museum
Brand guidelines Smithsonian teams and partners use across every channel
A color system that meets WCAG contrast standards
The foundation for the museum’s future communications, signage and experiences
A complete identity system for the Smithsonian’s newest museum
Brand guidelines Smithsonian teams and partners use across every channel
A color system that meets WCAG contrast standards
The foundation for the museum’s future communications, signage and experiences
Good to know
The museum doesn’t have a building on the National Mall yet. Until it does, the identity is the first thing the public meets.
04
What I did
What I did
I’m Latino, so this one is personal. I co-led the creative direction with Kristie Pope of Ogilvy and Jose Caicedo of Meraki Communications Group. Three creative directors, three points of view, one identity for 60 million stories.
I’m Latino, so this one is personal. I co-led the creative direction with Kristie Pope of Ogilvy and Jose Caicedo of Meraki Communications Group. Three creative directors, three points of view, one identity for 60 million stories.
05
Made with
Made with
Client
Client
Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino
Agency
Agency
Meraki Communications Group · Ogilvy
Co-creative direction
Co-creative direction
Kristie Pope (Ogilvy) · Jose Caicedo (Meraki Communications Group) · Carlos Murguía
In collaboration with
In collaboration with
Smithsonian leadership, NMAL staff and cultural advisors from across the Latino community
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