Audubon Zoo
1. Final Icons
2. Hand Sketches
3. Process Book
4. Poster & Zoo Map
5. Mockups & Applications 6. Final Deliverables
7. Accolades
This project is an investigation into creating a unique set of 10 symbols for the New Orleans Audubon Zoo. Project goals were to create a single cohesive set of symbols where each illustrates a different animal tailored for use throughout Audubon Zoo.
I chose each of the animals based on existing Audubon Zoo exhibit areas: Louisiana Swamp, Jaguar Jungle, South American Pampas, Audubon Aviary, African Savanna, World of Primates, Asia, Sea Lions, Reptile Encounter, & a free choice.
I chose each of the animals based on existing Audubon Zoo exhibit areas: Louisiana Swamp, Jaguar Jungle, South American Pampas, Audubon Aviary, African Savanna, World of Primates, Asia, Sea Lions, Reptile Encounter, & a free choice.
Final Icons
Final Icon Set: Container Color, Black & White, Full Color
About the Symbols:
Each of the symbols features both a mother and baby animal. This carefully crafted inclusion creates a child-friendly and educational design. Showing mother and baby promotes wildlife conservation, family connection, and illustrates the differences between species and at what stage the mother animal cares for their offspring. The mother and baby forms nest together and symbolize protection, care, and nurturing of precious wildlife.
Each of the symbols features both a mother and baby animal. This carefully crafted inclusion creates a child-friendly and educational design. Showing mother and baby promotes wildlife conservation, family connection, and illustrates the differences between species and at what stage the mother animal cares for their offspring. The mother and baby forms nest together and symbolize protection, care, and nurturing of precious wildlife.
Hand Sketches
Initial Hand Sketches
Refined Hand SketchesAll 10 symbols were initially created through hand sketches and further refined by hand before moving into the computer for the final symbol development. From the beginning of this project I focused on creating rounded shapes, nested forms, and including both a mother and baby in combination. This visual language ensured that the final symbols would have a friendly / gentle feel, speak to the conservation efforts of Audubon Zoo, and would be suitable for children and families.
Process Book
Process Book CoverA 55 page booklet was created to outline the entire project process from start to finish. This helped to ensure project goals were kept in mind at every stage of development and shows the entire design evolution of the Audubon Zoo symbols.
Process Book Inside Spreads
Typical Symbol ProcessPoster & Zoo Map
Poster Text:
This project is an investigation into creating a unique set of 10 symbols for the New Orleans Audubon Zoo.
The current wayfinding system at Audubon Zoo is not the most user-friendly system for guests. Many of Audubon Zoo’s current signs use a mix of graphic styles and include realistic small-scale silhouettes of animals on a single-color field. This type of system makes it difficult for guests to determine information from a distance and navigate the zoo easily. The current branding for Audubon Zoo can also lean on the more mature aesthetic in both rendering style and color choice. The goal for the project was to create a new system of symbols that addresses wayfinding concerns and appeals to a younger audience of children and families.
The newly designed symbols use 10 unique colors and are intended to be used as wayfinding accents distinctive to each animal zone within Audubon Zoo. This color organization method can help guests navigate and understand their current location more easily. The colors could be seen on powder-coated guardrails, accent paint on buildings, feature arches that mark entry into different zones, as well as directional signage. The color palette is playful in spirit to appeal to children, yet not so overly saturated that the colors might look out of place when surrounded by nature in the zoo setting.
Another key feature of the new symbols is the incorporation of baby animals. The inclusion of a baby animal in each design speaks to the larger conservation effort of Audubon Zoo. Oftentimes many animals that can be seen in zoos are exclusively kept from going extinct through targeted conservation efforts and care from zoo facilities.
Incorporating baby animals in each of the final symbols also has another benefit— creating a child friendly and educational design. Showing mother and baby promotes family connection and illustrates the differences between species. The new symbols are intended to be friendly, easy to understand, promote conservation, and have a family focus.
18 x 24" poster created to showcase the full set of symbols at 100% scale and 20% scale. The symbols were designed to work at a variety of scales— from large wayfinding feature elements to small icons on a hand held zoo map.
Zoo Map Utilizing Animal IconsMockups & Applications
Wayfinding Elements
The distinct set of 10 colors help to differentiate each of the zoo animal zones and correspond with a physical feature or habitat element of the animal the color is paired with.
A monumental feature arch marks the entry point for each of the different animal zones within Audubon Zoo. Here a bright and friendly arch welcomes guests to the Jaguar Jungle zone, shown in the color Tropic Territory and featuring a large scale version of the Jaguar Jungle symbol. 3D render created with Revit and Enscape.
Children-Focused Applications
Children’s Activity BookWhen looking at applications to showcase for this project, I knew I wanted to focus on something child-friendly, as that was a major project goal of mine. A children's activity book creates an interactive and educational activity for young children. The left side features an animal word search, and the right side shows a coloring page with a fun educational animal fact.
Children’s Apparel
Continuing with the theme of choosing applications with the overall project concept in mind, I created some mockups of children's apparel. The zoo icons are now paired with phrases like "Today is Zoo Day" or "Hanging at Audubon Zoo" to create a playful piece of apparel children could wear on a day out at the zoo with their family.
Final Deliverables
Final Presentation: Winter 2022
Accolades
Two pieces from this project were published in Communication Arts, Annual Student Showcase Print Issue for March/April 2023.
2023 March/April Communication Arts Feature