General Information
In Washington, New York and other locations, there are more than 20 Smithsonian
Institution Museums, buildings, etc. that are open to the public. In most cases, the
building or location itself is well identified, but its visual relationship to the
Smithsonian is often minimal and not easily recognized.
As part of the Institution's visual identity program, each existing and new building
or location should be "endorsed" with the words
"Smithsonian
Institution" together with the Sunburst. This endorsement is not intended to
overwhelm the building identity, which should predominate, but it is essential that the
public is aware that the building or location is a part of the Institution.
Specific identification of both new and existing sites by building or location title in
the new visual identity will also be encouraged wherever possible. (Specific
identification contains the name of the Museum, Research Institute or
Organization, along with the "Smithsonian Institution" wording and
the Sunburst. "Smithsonian Institution" may be eliminated if
"Smithsonian" is part of the organization's name.) If signage for a
building or location cannot be specific and in the new visual identity, then all buildings
and locations should at the very least display one Standard Plaque at or close to the main
entrance and also, if possible, one or more Standard Plaques in the lobby or the interior
of the main entrance. (Standard identification contains the
"Smithsonian Institution" wording only, along with the Sunburst.)
The Signage section of this Website shows the design and layout for Standard and Specific Signage, along
with recommended sizes and materials. Beyond these Guidelines, the positioning of Plaques
and other signage on the exterior and interior of each building should be specified
individually in conjunction with the Smithsonian's Office of Physical Plant. Contact
the OPP Project Manager assigned to your facility for advice and guidance.
For each Smithsonian building, these Guidelines should be used as a basis for the design
of the specific signs required for that site. New buildings or facilities should
incorporate these Guidelines into their signage design plans from the beginning. Completed
design drawings and material specifications should be referred to the local regulatory
authorities for approval, as applicable, through the Office of Physical Plant.
Also included here are Guidelines for the design and fabrication of optional Freestanding
Signs for situations where the installation of these is feasible and desirable. Glass
surfaces can provide space for signage, where appropriate, at a reasonable cost. Banners,
too, can provide a simple and quick solution to the question of branding, or endorsing, an
existing building, and standard layouts for these are shown.
Many Smithsonian buildings are significant National Historic Landmarks and are listed on
the National Register of Historic Places. Therefore, no invasion of building fabric is
permitted for installation of signage. The use of pins is not permitted unless they are
inserted into mortar joints. The installation of any sign on or around the historic
buildings is a matter for review by the process cited in Smithsonian Directive 410.
Please note that the design of all the signage visually relates to the Standard Lock-ups
used for stationery and printed matter. However, these Lock-ups are not precisely the
same. They have been adjusted for larger sizes and different fabrication methods, and all
standard signs must include the words "Smithsonian Institution" in full. They
are unique for signage and may not be used for other purposes, as the Lock-ups for print
may not be used for signage. As with stationery, the typeface to be used for all signs in
this section is Minion in Regular or Italic as shown, 0 tracking.
While it will not be possible to replace all existing signage, a sign review by the staff
of any given facility is always a useful exercise. Over the years, signs are often applied
in a completely ad hoc fashion, resulting in the build up of a plethora of repetitious and
confusing information.
A signage review should note the existence of every sign, its position and its message.
All repetitious signs should be deleted and the resulting damage to surfaces repaired.
"Wild signage," that is, hand written or other temporary signs, should also be
noted. There may well be a real requirement for this information, in which case the
temporary sign should become permanent. If not, the temporary sign should be removed. An
ongoing review, coupled with obtaining yearly budgets for sign replacement and additions
is a key part of the maintenance of any building.
The importance of signs is often underestimated. It should be remembered that any sign is
designed to be read and so will inevitably be looked at in detail by the public.
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