Woodland Park Zoo
Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo, a nationally renowned institution with over 120 years of history, sought a renewed identity to inspire support for their $80 million capital campaign. The result was a vibrant and forward-looking brand centered around the tagline “More wonder. More wild.” This identity captures the Zoo’s commitment to sparking curiosity and connecting visitors with the untamed beauty of the natural world. Our work included creating a versatile identity system designed to carry the Zoo into the future while honoring its rich legacy.
Agency: Phinney Bischoff
Role: Designer
Identity Development
Building on insights from our discovery process, we launched an extensive exploration to craft a distinctive identity for Woodland Park Zoo. Many zoo brands, both nationally and internationally, rely on common design tropes such as:
Iconic animals like giraffes, elephants, or big cats
Hand-drawn type, often for the word “Zoo”
Animal shapes integrated into the lettering
Overly playful and unsophisticated illustrations
To set Woodland Park Zoo apart, we deliberately avoided these approaches. Instead, we leaned into typographic solutions, subtle references to animal imagery, and non-animal iconography to create an identity that feels fresh, sophisticated, and uniquely theirs. While my logo design was not selected, I contributed significantly to the brand development process by designing the website and crafting comprehensive brand guidelines, ensuring a consistent and cohesive experience across all touchpoints.
