The Smithsonian Institute's Office of Digital Transformation
Visualizing 21 Museums Worth of Knowledge
Challenge
The Smithsonian Institution's Office of Digital Transformation aims to create meaningful and comprehensive connections between the wealth of knowledge it has available worldwide and the people it serves. To achieve this goal, the organization is streamlining and digitizing all of its resources from its 21 museums plus the National Zoo, and extending its reach beyond its museum doors to classrooms, homes, communities, and more. As part of this effort, Eighty2degrees was asked to develop a visual identity for the department.
Approach
Featuring a geometric interpretation of the acronym O-D-T, we crafted a logo that represents the diverse museums and stakeholders within the 175-year-old institution. For maximum flexibility, we made the logo available in outline and filled form. We also created an animated version of it to highlight the digital space the Office will be operating in. Building off the mark, the newly established brand elements balance modernity with experience and innovation and create a dynamic, positive energy. To reflect the Institute's scholarly nature, a refined, contemporary serif typeface was introduced and paired with a modern sans serif that has a digital-age personality. To complement the cooler tones of the logo, warm secondary colors were added to the palette. A high-contrast black-and-white photography style is used for the main visuals. The images have been “cut apart” and reassembled suggesting transformation. Full-color photographs housed in the shapes of the O and D act as supporting imagery.
