National Portrait Gallery
The logo was crafted by subtly shifting the letter o to form a colon—an element of punctuation often used to introduce ideas, highlight emphasis, or create contrast.
I developed a custom typeface by drawing from the form of the logo, giving the gallery a distinctive visual identity that sets it apart from other portrait institutions—particularly the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.
One challenge I’ve come across was the lack of a clear system for navigating the extensive portrait collection.
I was able to resolve this by developing a system that links each group of time periods to a distinct visual form, making them easier to identify and differentiate from another.
The form not only represents a specific time period, but also doubles as a physical frame. This can be seen applied to web to help visitors explore the different time periods and learn more about them.
The opening of the brochure was meant to feel like stepping through a portal, as if the reader is entering the portrait to catch a glimpse of someone's story.