Description:

Te Aitanga Pepeke is composed of a typographic ecosystem, translating the arthropod world into a dynamic visual identity system. 

The proposed client is Te Aitanga Pepeke, a museum based in Aotearoa specialising in the world of Arthropods. Their visual identity needs to reflect the four sectors of the museum: focus, explore, research and discover, as well as communicate these four concepts as brand values. It should also express the educational, playful and insightful nature of the museum across the diverse range of engagements. Visitor representation includes school children on class trips, local nature lovers, visiting tourists and scientific researchers.  

I created ‘Pepeke’—a typeface with four weights. Each weight communicates the intentions and values of the four individual sectors of the museum. This visual ecosystem of letterforms come together to form the final logotype and generate a wide range of dynamic colourful patterns, developing a basis for the overall identity system. The identity was created as a dynamic system that does not end once it’s been designed but acts as a generative system that has an expansive reach. The flexibility of this approach offers coherent but variable solutions to meet the needs of the museums varied stakeholders. 

To reach the design outcome, I engaged in a process that required careful observation of primary and secondary sources. The forms used to construct the typeface are drawn directly from four types of insects, linking the identity straight to organic source material. As a result, the typeface translates the life, movement and detail of insects through typography. It authentically communicates the museum’s purpose by highlighting the small, weird, up-close and overlooked.

The visual identity prioritises native species with emphasis on our local culture and origins, whilst including international species. It celebrates the global world of arthropods, but also clearly situates the Museum in its Aotearoa context, through its use of te reo Māori and promotion of te ao Māori principles in the museum.  

This dynamic visual identity system for Te Aitanga Pepeke was tested and expressed through a Design Guidelines (intended as inspiration and instruction for the inhouse Museum design team) and the Welcome Pack (providing information to new members). These outputs provided an opportunity to fully define all elements of the design system and have some fun using the variable elements to create visually engaging pieces of communication.