How do you design a visual identity for 60 million people's story — one that honors the past, represents the present, and belongs inside the Smithsonian? That was the brief.
CHALLENGE:
This wasn't a typical branding project. The museum represents the lived experience of over 60 million Latinos in the U.S. — Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, Dominican, Central and South American, Afro-Latino, Indigenous — communities with distinct histories, traditions, and visual cultures. A single identity had to hold all of that without flattening any of it.
At the same time, the brand needed to live within the Smithsonian family — one of the most recognized institutional identities in the world. It had to feel distinctly Latino and unmistakably Smithsonian. That's a tension most brand projects never have to navigate.
And it needed to work before the museum itself exists. No building, no permanent collection on display — just a mission, a name, and the weight of what it promises. The brand would be the first thing the public encounters. It had to carry the full story on its own.
APPROACH:
I co-led the creative direction alongside Kristie Pope from Ogilvy and Jose Caicedo from Meraki Communications Group. The three of us brought different perspectives to the table — which is exactly what this project demanded. A brand for this community couldn't come from a single point of view.
We started with research and listening. Stakeholder interviews with Smithsonian leadership. Workshops with cultural advisors and community voices. Deep study of Latino visual traditions, art history, and design heritage — looking for what felt authentic without leaning on cliché. The goal wasn't to illustrate Latino culture. It was to design something that Latinos would recognize as theirs.
The visual identity system we developed includes primary and secondary logos, a bold color palette drawn from the warmth and diversity of Latino cultural influences, custom typography that balances personality with institutional legibility, and supporting patterns and graphic elements that add richness across applications.
Color accessibility was a priority from day one. Every palette combination was tested for contrast compliance across digital and print, and verified for legibility by people with color vision deficiencies. A museum for all Latinos had to be visually accessible to all of them.
We delivered comprehensive brand guidelines so Smithsonian teams and partners could apply the identity consistently across print, digital, merchandise, environmental, and future museum spaces — a system built to scale as the museum grows from concept to reality.
This project was a true creative partnership. Co-creative direction by Kristie Pope (Ogilvy), Jose Caicedo (Meraki Communications Group), and Carlos Murguía. Developed in collaboration with Smithsonian leadership, NMAL staff, and cultural advisors from across the Latino community.
THE RESULTS:
• Complete brand identity system for the Smithsonian's newest museum
• Visual identity that is distinctly Latino and authentically Smithsonian
• Comprehensive brand guidelines for consistent application across all channels
• Fully accessible color system meeting WCAG contrast standards
• Foundation for all future museum communications, signage, and experiences
I'm Latino. This project is personal. Designing the brand for a museum that tells the story of my community — inside the Smithsonian — is the kind of work I got into this profession to do. Three creative directors, three perspectives, one identity that had to hold 60 million stories. That's not a branding exercise. That's translation at the highest level.
