Case Study: Harry Ransom Center refreshes its brand identity with Pentagram

Harry Ransom Center refreshes its identity for its 50th anniversary with Pentagram

The Harry Ransom Center, a library and museum at the University of Texas at Austin, faced the challenge of being a hidden gem with an outdated visual identity that was not well known to the general public or functioning well in digital applications. On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the center engaged Pentagram to develop a refreshed brand identity system to increase its appeal and recognition.

Pentagram evolved the institution's historic mark by recasting it in the contemporary GT Ultra font family and infusing the system with a vibrant, modern color palette. The new identity leads with the familiar "HRC" acronym to make the center more approachable, akin to other renowned cultural institutions. As a result of the rebrand and a related major exhibition, the Harry Ransom Center surpassed its all-time attendance record.

Harry Ransom Center