Children's Museum of Indianapolis
Created a flexible brand system for the world’s largest children’s museum
2021
Process
01 Research
In the research phase, I conducted an in-depth exploration of the museum's history, values, and mission to deeply understand its core identity. Drawing from personal experiences and immersive research, I identified key themes that would guide the brand refresh while staying true to the museum’s unique essence.
02 Personas
In the demographic phase, I identified children and parents as the primary audience for the museum. To deepen this understanding, I developed detailed personas for each group, including biographies, goals, frustrations, personalities, and their favorite brands, ensuring the refreshed brand would resonate with their needs and preferences.
03 Brand Squares
In the brand exploration phase, I designed three distinct sets of brand squares, each with a unique look and feel. This approach allowed me to quickly explore different creative directions for the refresh. Ultimately, I combined ideas from two of these sets to develop the final brand identity, blending the strongest elements from each.
04 Solidified Branding
In the branding phase, I finalized the visual identity by creating a one-page overview that captured the core elements of the refreshed brand. This included the logo, monogram, color palette, typography, patterns, graphic styles, and photography treatment, ensuring a cohesive and versatile system.
05 Flexible Logo Iterations
Next, I transformed the static logo and monogram into a flexible design system. The logo was adapted to highlight large-scale external events, such as holiday celebrations, ensuring it could dynamically align with the museum's programming. Meanwhile, the monogram evolved into a versatile tool for organizing and unifying the museum's diverse internal exhibits and experiences within a cohesive brand structure.
06 Applications
In the application phase, I brought the finalized branding to life by applying it to various physical touchpoints, such as banners, gift bags, and mobile filters. This step tested the practicality of the brand system and demonstrated its real-world usability. Drawing on insights from my personas, I ensured these applications resonated with the target audience of kids and parents, enhancing their museum experience.
