National Portrait Gallery

Based in London and Beijing, and open to working globally.

Zhiwen is a bilingual graphic designer focused on branding and typography, with ongoing explorations in type design, motion, and AI.

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National Portrait Museum

2025

AD: Zhiwen Shao
D: Zhiwen Shao

I try to challenge the current identity of the National Portrait Gallery (NPG), located next to Trafalgar Square. The current one is good, meticulous, and academic, yet it doesn’t convey the narrative of contemporary UK society; it fails to reflect the diverse, hybrid, and constantly evolving nature of nowadays.

An omni-channel logoAt first, we had a tough decision in naming, deciding whether the logo should be a shape or logotype. We pulled back to the concept: framing millions of stories behind every face; then we developed a logo that fits in all scenarios. The shape also acts as a flexible framing system.

All scene experience
I spent a week conducting on-site research, during which I explored a wide range of potential touch points.

Transmedia Experience

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