Commemorative Identity - Gesneriads 2024

The Gesneriad Society is an international horticultural society founded in 1951 and dedicated to the study, cultivation and promotion of gesneriads.

MY ROLE: Art Direction, Design

For its 2024 international convention in St. Louis, MO, the Gesneriad Society gave me carte blanche to develop a commemorative identity and supporting visual system.

The challenge was to honor an established community while engaging a younger audience. I balanced heritage with a contemporary visual language, preserving the Society’s character while giving the event a clearer, more modern identity.

Designing for a New Generation

Historical botanical illustrations connect the identity to the Society’s heritage, while a Swiss-inspired approach to composition and hierarchy gives them a contemporary edge. Serif display type reinforces tradition, balanced by clean sans-serif typography for clarity and legibility.

Tradition, Reframed

The commemorative mark combines St. Louis’ Gateway Arch with botanical illustrations, connecting place and purpose. Its flowers, typography, and grid became a flexible visual toolkit, creating a cohesive identity across every event touchpoint.

Building a Visual System

The commemorative enamel pin required translating the identity into a much smaller and more constrained format. I reduced the system to its most recognizable elements: the gesneriad and the architectural language of the Arch.

Across every touchpoint, the goal was consistency without repetition.

Extending the Experience