Spanning the World of Minerals

Mineral & gem exhibit
Brand identity
Exhibition design
Advertising
Gene and Jim Spann are two of the most well-known mineral collectors in the United States. They are particularly generous collectors who donate their collections to science museums around the country. The Spann’s loaned their collection to the Tellus Science Museum in Georigia which is a Smithsonian affiliate museum. The Tellus Science Museum is well-known for it’s mineral collection, boasting the largest gem collection in Georgia. The Tellus Science Museum’s team wanted this mineral exhibit to feel like a “collector’s exhibit” instead of their typical more child-friendly science museum. The exhibit attracted mineral enthusiasts from around the Southeast. The branding for the exhibit was characterized by luxury serif fonts and the beautiful mineral photography of the collector’s son Thomas Spann.

Exhibition branding

The goal of the branding project for the Spann collection was to create a look that is on par with the gem collectors auctioning off their collections at big name auction houses and galleries. The first round of designs started with three iterations. Some were more abstract the lockup on the left above, referencing the crystalline patterns of minerals and gems. The option on the right included simplified vector graphics of some of the Spann’s minerals in their collections.

Marketing materials

Marketing for Tellus Science Museum included invitations, rack cards, and digital ads.
Running the gamut of digital media