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About the project
Situated at the southwest edge of the expansive University of Texas campus stands an unassuming brutalist structure that quietly holds one of Austin’s most remarkable treasures. The Harry Ransom Center (HRC)—a premier library, archive, and museum—is a hidden gem respected by scholars and collectors worldwide. Yet, it remains largely overlooked by many new residents of this rapidly growing city, as well as by countless UT students who pass by it daily without a second thought. In Fall 2023, Pentagram’s Austin office was tasked with addressing this lack of awareness by creating a refreshed brand identity system to mark the Harry Ransom Center’s 50th anniversary.
Established in 1957 by Harry Huntt Ransom, then Vice President and Provost of The University of Texas, the institution was originally known as the Humanities Research Center. It was renamed in his honor in 1974. From the outset, its mission focused on building a world-class library through the acquisition of literary archives centered on modern and contemporary authors—an approach that diverged from traditional collecting practices of the time. Over the years, the HRC has broadened its scope to encompass major collections in photography, art, film, and the performing arts.
Among the center’s most notable holdings are a rare two-volume Gutenberg Bible—one of only 20 known copies worldwide—and the earliest surviving photograph. Pentagram Austin also designed 3D displays for these exceptional artifacts in the early 2000s. Additional highlights include Edgar Allan Poe’s desk, Frida Kahlo’s renowned “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird,” Jack Kerouac’s “On the Road” notebook and scroll, Harry Houdini’s personal love letters, and the complete Gernsheim Collection of early photographic works.
Beyond these treasures, the HRC preserves and showcases the personal archives of influential figures across literature and the arts. Among them is actor Robert De Niro, who contributed an extensive archive of film-related materials such as scripts, costumes, production notes, and personal correspondence. A friend of Saturday Night Live creator Lorne Michaels, De Niro encouraged Michaels to donate his own archive as well. Recently, Pentagram Austin collaborated with the HRC to develop the brand identity and visitor experience for “Live From New York: The Lorne Michaels Collection,” a major exhibition running from September 2025 through March 2026. The exhibition has already broken the center’s all-time attendance record.
To begin the rebranding effort, the Pentagram team analyzed audience feedback and internal research gathered by the HRC staff while also conducting their own inquiries. These insights revealed that the center’s visual identity had remained largely unchanged since its founding. The original logo consisted of a straightforward three-letter acronym in all caps, set in Trajan—the often-used “movie poster” typeface—with the letters “H” and “R” sharing a vertical stroke.
Early in the process, Pentagram explored a wide range of creative directions before concluding that refining the existing identity offered the strongest solution. While the original mark conveyed an academic and serious tone, it also evoked the look of a Texas cattle brand—a fitting reference for a literary archive situated within a prominent Texas university. Over time, this identity had gained recognition as the institution’s sole visual marker for decades. However, it appeared dated and proved ineffective at smaller scales, particularly in today’s digital contexts.
To address these challenges, the updated identity introduces a contemporary typeface, GT Ultra, designed by Noël Leu for Grilli Type. This font bridges the gap between serif and sans-serif styles, blending elements of calligraphy with structural precision. Its versatility—offering a wide range of weights and styles—provides the brand with flexible typographic expression. The fusion of classic and modern aesthetics complements the diversity of objects within the HRC’s collection.
The refreshed system also incorporates a bold and modern color palette. A rich spectrum of vibrant hues, along with curated combinations outlined in the style guidelines, defines the new visual language. These dynamic color pairings, combined with the archive’s varied historical imagery, convey a fresh and energetic identity across multiple platforms and touchpoints.
The redesigned HRC acronym, set in the Median weight of GT Ultra, refines the connection between the capital letters “H” and “R,” creating a more intentional and cohesive form. To complement the strong all-caps icon, the full name “Harry Ransom Center” is presented in sentence case, improving readability while giving the institution a more approachable and welcoming tone.
Although the public has long referred to the Harry Ransom Center by its informal abbreviation “HRC,” the organization traditionally followed an unwritten convention of using its full name in most contexts. In line with its goal of appealing to a broader, less academic audience, Pentagram developed a system that places the HRC acronym at the forefront. Similar to other leading cultural institutions like “MoMA” and “The Met,” the center now officially embraces its widely recognized nickname in both spoken and visual communications.
