Yosemite National Park Rebrand
Brand Strategy, Designer
10 Weeks
Illustrator, Photoshop
Role
Timeline
Tools
For this project, I created a reimagined brand identity inspired by the natural beauty and cultural significance of Yosemite national park. The work focused on capturing the balance between rugged wilderness and approachable design, making the brand feel both timeless and inviting. I explored logo development, typography, and color palettes that reflected Yosemite’s landscapes and history. The project also included applications across merchandise, signage, and other print media to create a cohesive experience. Overall, Yosemite was about honoring the park’s legacy through a modern and thoughtful design system.
Project Overview
The brochure design highlights Yosemite’s natural beauty while providing clear and engaging information for visitors. It combines striking imagery, structured layouts, and a cohesive typographic system to create a piece that feels both informative and visually immersive.
Park Guide Design
The system can also be applied to brochures, maps, digital platforms, and promotional materials, creating a seamless experience for visitors. With this unified design approach, Yosemite’s brand presence feels timeless and memorable across every touchpoint.
Now that a cohesive visual system has been established, it can be extended across a wide range of applications throughout Yosemite. From park signage to merchandise such as apparel, mugs, and tote bags, the identity ensures consistency and recognition.
Design Across Touchpoints
Capture the Spirit of Yosemite
Translate the park’s natural beauty into a visual identity that feels both authentic and enduring.
Build a Cohesive Brand System
Develop a unified design language across logo, typography, and color for consistent application.
Balance History and Modernity
Honor Yosemite’s cultural legacy while presenting it through a fresh and contemporary lens.
Creative Objectives
I studied existing branding from national parks, outdoor gear companies, and travel organizations to understand how nature is represented visually. I found that many systems leaned heavily on vintage aesthetics, which created strong nostalgia but sometimes limited flexibility for modern use. I also looked at how typography and color palettes were used to convey ruggedness, approachability, or adventure. This research highlighted the importance of balancing history with contemporary design elements. These insights guided the Yosemite identity toward a timeless yet adaptable brand system.
Research
The standalone M logo was designed to echo the iconic silhouette of Half Dome, making it instantly recognizable and tied directly to Yosemite’s identity. As a monogram, it works as a flexible brand mark that can stand alone on merchandise, signage, or digital applications while maintaining a strong connection to the park.
Monogram Identity
National Park Service Identity
REI Co-op Branding
Yellowstone National Park Posters
The classic arrowhead logo and serif typography create a sense of tradition, but the system often feels dated across applications.
REI’s clean typography and bold outdoor imagery balance modern design with rugged appeal.
The vintage style posters highlight the power of illustration and minimal color palettes, though they are limited by their usage.
For Yosemite, I developed a brand system that modernizes the identity while staying true to its history and natural beauty. The logo incorporates a stylized mountain peak within the wordmark, symbolizing both strength and place. A grounded color palette of deep greens and warm neutrals reflects the park’s landscapes and creates a versatile system across print and digital applications. The typography balances a bold, approachable style with timeless qualities that align with Yosemite’s enduring legacy.
Altogether, the solution provides a cohesive identity that honors the park’s past while still ensuring adaptability for future audiences.
The Solution
Working on the Yosemite project allowed me to explore how design can honor the history and identity of a place while still feeling modern and approachable. I learned the importance of researching historical design systems and how they successfully functioned. Creating applications across signage, merchandise, and print taught me how a unified identity strengthens recognition and enhances visitor experiences.
This project also pushed me to refine my ability to translate abstract concepts, like Yosemite’s iconic landscapes, into simple yet meaningful design forms. Overall, it was a valuable exercise in combining storytelling, functionality, and aesthetics within a cohesive brand system.
Reflection