National Geographic

Museum of Exploration

Bringing Wonder to Life


This project was an honor of a lifetime. As the National Geographic Society prepared to open a state-of-the-art museum in Washington, D.C., we were challenged with creating an identity for the museum experience that would reflect the spirit of discovery and adventure at the heart of the Society, while integrating seamlessly into National Geographic’s existing brand world.

Additionally, the brand experience had to offer a flexible, dynamic system that could live across digital, environmental, and print applications.

We designed an adaptive, modular brand system that feels distinctly National Geographic while embracing innovation, discovery and evolution of the Museum and the exhibitions – both permanent and those to come. 

Utilizing the core National Geographic colors of yellow, black, and white, we derived a secondary palette reflective of the Museum’s key areas of exploration. We ensured these extended colors passed all accessibility requirements, providing flexibility within the physical space as well as in out-of-home (OOH) and social media environments.

Motion was another key design element. We created three core movements that capture a sense of wonder and discovery, guiding visitors to their next area of exploration. This motion system was developed for kiosks and screens throughout the space, as well as for social media stories and posts.

Finally, our suite of custom iconography was designed to mimic the flow of the Geograph typeface and modernize the infographic system. They are timeless, just like the space itself.

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After our initial engagement on the identity and sytem for the Museum, the National Geogrpahic team asked if we’d also be interested in branding the Muesum Shop and the Explorer’s Eatery -- with a signature Bar called Ballard’s.