How do you visually honor and preserve the story of a historic Black homestead while creating an engaging, educational experience for visitors?
Create a logo and visual system that celebrates the legacy of Pensacola’s Black maritime history, seamlessly blending with the educational placards, gift shop merchandise, and the park’s natural setting.
As of 2025, Hart’s Hammock & Archaeological Park is a new addition to the Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum’s offerings, located on the grounds that once housed the homestead of Charles Hart. Hart was a Black laborer who contributed significantly to the operations of both the Pensacola Navy Yard and the Lighthouse in the mid-19th century. The park features a reconstructed version of his home, built in the style of the 1850s-1860s, and provides visitors with a chance to explore this important chapter of local history.
The team at the Pensacola Lighthouse & Maritime Museum reached out to us to help bring this project to life visually. Our task was to develop a brand system that would reflect both the heritage of the site and its role in telling the broader story of Pensacola’s Black maritime contributions.
From the very first conversations, it was clear how important authenticity was to this project. The brand needed to reflect respect, accuracy, and a connection to place. Every element of the park’s visual identity had to support the storytelling happening at each placard, marker, and reconstructed feature.
We worked closely with the museum team to ensure that our creative decisions aligned with the historical research and educational mission of Hart’s Hammock. This was about more than just a logo, it was about creating a system that enhanced visitors’ understanding and appreciation of the park’s significance.
For Hart’s Hammock, the logo serves as both a symbol of the site’s identity and a visual reminder of the people whose lives shaped the area’s history. The logo features an abstract representation of the reconstructed homestead, framed by natural elements inspired by the native vegetation of the park. These organic forms were designed to evoke the feeling of the hammock landscape while subtly referencing the resilience of the Black families who once lived and worked there.
This logo now appears throughout the park, from educational placards to wayfinding signs, and extends into merchandise such as tote bags and t-shirts available in the museum’s gift shop.
The color palette for Hart’s Hammock draws from the natural environment of the site—earthy greens and browns mixed with warm neutral tones. These colors reflect the landscape and architecture of the period while creating a visual language that feels timeless and respectful.
To further enrich the park’s visual system, we developed a set of illustrated elements inspired by 19th-century craftsmanship and the natural flora of the region. These patterns appear subtly on placards and materials throughout the park, reinforcing the connection between the site’s history and its physical environment. Small icons depicting tools, maritime symbols, and native plants were created to support educational materials and digital use.
Bringing the Hart’s Hammock story to life required more than just a logo. We designed a full suite of collateral to support the visitor experience—from interpretive signage and historical placards to gift shop merchandise. Every piece was thoughtfully crafted to help tell the story of Charles Hart and highlight the contributions of Pensacola’s Black maritime community.
Bringing the Hart’s Hammock story to life required more than just a logo. We designed a full suite of collateral to support the visitor experience—from interpretive signage and historical placards to gift shop merchandise. Every piece was thoughtfully crafted to help tell the story of Charles Hart and highlight the contributions of Pensacola’s Black maritime community.
