PROJECTS

EXHIBITION GRAPHICS | EXTERIOR GRAPHICS

Smithsonian Gardens
Washington, DC

Habitat

May 2019 – current (many exhibits on extended view)

Habitat is a multi-year exhibition comprised of fifteen exhibits spread across the National Mall that all explore one big idea: Protecting habitats protects life. Organized by Smithsonian Gardens, the exhibits feature commissioned installations and sculptures, plantings, and interpretive graphics in indoor and outdoor garden spaces at various Smithsonian museums. Many individual Habitat exhibits remain on view, as of late 2022.

Christine Lefebvre Design developed the graphics system, beginning with initial concept options and seeing it through to a polished final design. CLD designed roughly 60 unique interpretive panels for the original thirteen exhibits, with custom illustrations, maps, and diagrams.

COLOR PALETTE Dark magenta, turquoise, and red-brown, with peach and orange accents, walked the line between vibrancy and earthiness. The bold colors visually connected the thirteen different exhibits spread across the Mall. Dominant colors and supporting colors varied by individual exhibit. (For example, magenta was the dominant color for Sheltering Branches, while brown was the dominant color for Life Underground.)

MAP ILLUSTRATIONS Each exhibit’s introduction panel included a keyed wayfinding map. We also created map illustrations for the Sheltering Branches, Biomes, and Monarchs on the Move exhibits.

CLD did not design the “Habitat” logomark.

GRAPHIC DETAILS Bouncing circles and quirky hand-drawn illustrations gave the exhibition a whimsical, approachable feel. Subtle design details employed throughout unify the exhibits — for example, stories about people include their photos in rounded rectangles, to set them apart from other imagery. “Quick facts” are presented in peach-colored circles.

INTERACTION PROMPTS The Life Underground exhibit includes an interactive with touchable pieces of the wood species used in Foon Sham’s outdoor sculpture, Mushroom. Throughout the exhibition are prompts to “Look Closely” or “Look Around.”

“We are so pleased with the final interpretive panels. They are stunning, and the process was a delight.”

— Smithsonian Gardens

Credits: Exhibition Graphic Design by Christine Lefebvre Design. Exhibition Development/Curation by Smithsonian Gardens and Smithsonian Exhibits. Graphics were printed by iZone Imaging. Landscape architecture/garden plantings and exhibit installations by Smithsonian Gardens. Dioramas in the Biomes exhibit by Smithsonian Exhibits.

RELATED PROJECT
Habitat (print)