Design a Smithsonian museum with me - start to finish!

Today I'm showing my full creative process as I design a brand identity for the American Women’s History Museum—a new Smithsonian museum currently in development for the National Mall in Washington DC, commissioned by Congress in 2020. They haven’t released official branding yet, so I thought… what would I create if they called me up to do it?

From the creative brief and strategy to typography, color, logo design, and exhibit design, murals, and packaging, I’m showing you every step I’d take to bring this brand to life. If you're into branding, storytelling, or you just want to see what it looks like to build a museum brand from the ground up, you're in the right place.

If you'd like to create your version of this brand, check out the full brief below! Drop me a comment linking to your work, I'd love to see what you do with this company!


THE BRIEF //
Project Overview:
The American Women’s History Museum, a new Smithsonian institution, is all about telling the stories we didn’t grow up hearing. It needs to colorful, energetic, and empowering — presenting these stories in a dynamic and interactive way that will appeal to visiting school groups and help history feel alive for visitors. Visually, the brand needs to stand out from its’ direct competitor and within the landscape of the National Mall, spark curiosity, and give the museum a flexible system to highlight new heroes and keep growing.

Target Audience:
School Groups
Tourists visiting the Capitol
History-Lovers

Competitors:
National Women’s History Museum
Other DC attractions

Brand Keywords:
Empowering
Vibrant
Imaginative
Bold
Accessible
Story-driven
Dynamic
Uplifting

Deliverables:
Brand Identity Suite
Exhibition Graphics
Environmental Graphics
Advertising
Merchandise


WORK WITH ME //
www.peregrinecreative.co

LEARN WITH ME //
www.janellehugel.com


CHAPTERS //
00:00 Intro
04:32 The Brief
05:33 Strategy
06:53 Visual Inspiration
13:18 Logos +Identity
12:17 Color Palette
20:12 Patterns
21:34 Brand Assets
26:13 Final Reveal

#designwithme #brandidentity