The Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Latino was established in 2020. The museum showcases  the achievements, contributions and experiences of Latinos in the United States as an essential part of American history and culture.

We partnered with Meraki Communications Group to develop a logo and visual identity system for the museum. This graphic draws inspiration from interwoven tapestries and tells a story rooted in motion, growth and color and a burst of intermixed tapestries that represent American Latinos’ complex, spirited, and diverse community.

 

This identity is a visual story of how we all fit together as individuals with our unique life experiences. It is a story of belonging, of past, present and future, and how the threads that make up the individual tapestries of our community have been woven together to tell our story, as a single unified vibrant voice that is Proud to be US.

The stacked text is bold uses an edited version of the Cordillera typeface. Cordillera was designed by the “Latinotype” foundry. Luciano Vergara and Daniel Hernández founded “Latinotype” in Concepción and Santiago, Chile. The name “Latinotype” emphasizes the strong tie they feel to their cultural identity.

The color palette is intentionally vibrant and even electric to honor the celebratory culture and the power of the community.