The Experiential Design Index

Give Me a Sign: The Language of Symbols — Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

"Give Me a Sign: The Language of Symbols," a temporary exhibition tracing the legacy of the 1972 Symbol Sourcebook, opened at Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum in New York in May 2023, designed by Studio Matthews.

VenueCooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
Project typeTemporary Exhibition
StatusCompleted
Year completed2023

Credits

FirmRoleNote
Studio Matthews Exhibit Design
volume-industries Fabrication physical and digital fabrication
diamonds-green Fabrication

Description

The exhibition used a modular, budget-conscious freestanding display system designed to minimally touch the walls of Cooper Hewitt's historic and protected galleries. Interactive stations included a life-sized Olympic symbol projection, an illuminated table for symbol-design exercises, and a visitor-contribution station for a crowdsourced international symbol sourcebook. It received a 2024 SEGD Global Design Award (Exhibition).

Sources