Sky Builders

An exhibition that turns David Smith’s steel sculptures into something kids can build, draw, and play with.

  • Art Direction
  • Type design
  • Motion design
  • Editorial design
  • Illustrations
Client
[Concept project / Course project, USC]
Industry
Museum / Exhibition Design / Education
Role
Art Director & Visual Designer
Year
2025
Deliverables
Art Direction, Type design, Motion design, Editorial design, Illustrations
Sky Builder exhibition graphics on a white museum wall, with large multicolored sculptural letters spelling Sky Builder

01Overview

Sky Builders is a children’s exhibition inspired by sculptor David Smith. It turns his ideas of balance, verticality, and negative space into a colorful space where kids learn by moving and making.

02Challenge

Smith’s sculptures are made of heavy industrial steel and can feel serious to young visitors. The challenge was to make them playful and safe to explore, without losing what makes them sculpture: structure, balance, and space.

03Solution

I traced shapes from Smith’s sculptures to build a custom alphabet, then used it everywhere kids would touch. The letters became stackable blocks, drawing prompts, a brochure, tickets, and giant outdoor sculptures spelling the show’s name. Instead of looking at sculpture from a distance, kids get to build their own.

Animated grid of the custom alphabet, each colorful letter drawn from sculptural shapes
Animated black-and-white photo of a David Smith steel sculpture, with letterforms traced from its shapes
Custom alphabet A to Z in white on black, with letterforms drawn from sculptural shapes

build your own

Drag the letters around and make something.

Animation of the word Cubism in colorful custom letters on white, beside a photo of a stacked steel cube sculpture
Sky Builder tri-fold brochure, cover and open spreads with colorful letterforms and exhibition zones
Three hands holding the adult, child and student Sky Builders tickets
Sky Builder children's activity kit: box, letter cards, foam letter pieces and an open guidebook
A person on a city street carrying the Sky Builder canvas tote bag
Sky Builder exhibition team badges on a lanyard printed with the colorful custom letters
Two people drawing a colorful sculpture-inspired figure with colored pencils
Children drawing the custom letters at a table in the gallery, surrounded by large letter sculptures

04Results

A complete exhibition system: a custom typeface, an interactive gallery, hands-on activities, and printed materials. Together, they turn modernist sculpture into something kids can pick up, stack, and make their own.