Toledo Museum of Art Rebrand

The Toledo Museum of Art (TMA) came to us with a clear request: to transform its identity while continuing to honor its legacy.

We answered with an innovative rebrand, including strategy and a holistic design system, that will help TMA continue its journey to become the kind of modern museum they strive to be – one that has its doors open to all. We based the rebrand on a strategic platform: The transformative power of art is for all of Toledo.

TMA’s previous brand voice—academic, critical, elite—created a barrier to expanding its audience to those who have historically felt excluded. A shift toward inclusivity and everyday language signals that a new and more welcoming attitude is genuinely occurring at TMA.

The redesign utilizes key elements of Toledo to display the museum’s pride for the city. All elements are inspired by transformation, with a dynamic logo, an adaptive color palette, and symbolism recalling pride for the community of Toledo.

The letter T is a point of pride for Toledo. The letter T also builds out the structure of the museum, which was repurposed into the logo to create a dynamic, multifaceted icon. This symbol portrays the continual reframing of the history of art, and evokes the dynamism of art’s - and the museum’s - emerging futures. To pay homage to “The Glass City”, visual elements evoking glass were used throughout the work as well.

We redesigned the website with the four pillars of diversity, community, innovation, and trust in mind. The aesthetics, language, and tone all utilized in this rebrand speak to who TMA is and what they believe in.

Now that the rebrand has launched, TMA is the one place where Toledo’s past glory and emerging future are equally alive. We look forward to reporting back on results, but until then, we invite everyone to experience it, enjoy it, and use it as a dynamic catalyst to transform themselves into something better than they were before.