National History Museum Rebrand
Brief + objective
The Natural History Museum of Milan is one of the oldest and most significant natural history institutions in Italy, founded in 1838. Located in the Indro Montanelli public gardens in the heart of the city, it houses over three million specimens across zoology, palaeontology, mineralogy, and botany.
This project is a conceptual but strategic reimagination of the current brand identity, which has a few issues. The logo looks outdated and too medical and the overall brand visual language is not defined or extended well. Besides, for a museum that targets schoolchildren and families, it would be perceived as too boring and formal. The objective became to build a brand identity from scratch that is in line with the museum's values and solves these issues.
At the core of the visual identity lies the logo, designed around a universally recognized symbol for the prehistoric age, and archaeology in general. The bones of a T-rex claw comes into frame in a simplified icon that brings a feeling of anticipation and excitement that works for both target audiences. The typography choices ground the identity in its academic and historical nature, while the colour consists of a fresh combination of adventurous and natural colours. Altogether the brand identity allows for various consistent use cases with room to be playful in the illustrations.
