When the Texas Memorial Museum began a multi-year renovation, it was the perfect time for a new name and brand to better tell the story of Texas’ past, present, and future.
Built nearly 100 years ago, the Texas Memorial Museum stands among the LBJ Presidential Library, Briscoe Center for American History, and the Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on The University of Texas at Austin campus—and it is the only science museum on campus.
Since its opening in 1939, generations of visitors have come to the museum to learn about the natural history of Texas through exhibits that feature specimens ranging from the smallest mammals of the Piney Woods to the giant Texas Pterosaur that once soared over West Texas. A temporary closure presented an opportunity to reimagine its physical space, exhibits, audiences, and role as the keeper and storyteller of Texas’s natural history, and ultimately become a "must-visit" destination in Austin.
Visitors often referred to the museum as the “science museum” and had trouble connecting the name of the museum to the content inside. With the support of leadership, we rebranded it to the Texas Science & Natural History Museum. We designed a logo that referenced the Main Hall’s large windows, as well as specimens from the past, present, and future life in Texas. The visual identity also needed to connect to The University of Texas at Austin, and we developed a complementary color palette to be used alongside the University’s signature Burnt Orange.
After building the visual identity guidelines, we created a grand opening theme to capture attention and help potential visitors understand how expansive life in Texas is and can be. We also developed print and digital ad templates and exterior building banners to help announce the grand opening on campus to the students and general public.
