National Marine Sanctuaries Branding Campaign

As the lead designer and strategist behind the National Marine Sanctuaries branding campaign, I guided a comprehensive overhaul of the sanctuary system’s visual identity. Working closely with NOAA’s headquarters communications staff as well as representatives from each individual sanctuary, I helped unify a brand that had previously lacked consistency across materials, platforms, and regions. My role involved developing the entire graphic system—from logo redesign to typography, color standards, and layout templates—laying the foundation for a brand that could be both cohesive and flexible enough to serve a diverse network of protected ocean and Great Lakes areas.

Central to my process was research. I immersed myself in the history of the National Marine Sanctuaries program and analyzed past branding efforts, identifying critical inconsistencies in how the system presented itself to the public. I also studied the National Park Service’s highly successful branding model—a close parallel in mission and structure—and visited the National Park Service’s Interpretive Design Center to consult with their staff and understand how they built a trusted, recognizable identity across dozens of distinct park sites.

I redesigned the main National Marine Sanctuaries logo and created a suite of customized logos for each sanctuary, giving each one a unique yet visually connected identity. To support this system, I authored the introduction to the official branding manual, using well-known branding success stories to frame the importance of strategic visual identity. The result is a professional, future-forward brand system that helps sanctuaries tell their stories more clearly and connect more deeply with the public they serve.