design-histories

[design-histories]

United States Federal Design Improvement Program

Back in 1972, in an interesting chapter in design history, President Richard Nixon and NEA Chair Nancy Hanks introduced the United States Government to the Federal Design Improvement Program. This program sought to overhaul and redesign the current standards in design within the different organizations of the United States Federal Government. What was originally considered dull and unadventurous design, shifted briefly to a style that was more bold and lively.

One of the most notable logos to have come from this time was the NASA worm logo, designed by graphic designers Richard Danne and Bruce Blackburn. The FDIP's influence was widespread amongst the the US federal government. It was safe to say, that design had become a necessity, and served an important purpose in not only improving the visual identity and communication of the US government, but also sought to improve the thoughts of the people surrounding the government. I think that Nancy Hanks said it best in her closing speech at the First Federal Design Assembly:

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“Today, instead of a few isolated people, there are ranks of administrators who equate good design with good government.”

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It is true, design has the power to influence the thoughts and feelings of people, and overall tell a story that can allow you to look at a brand in a different light. While unfortunately, the standards put into place from the FDIP did not stick and the sectors of the United States government eventually went back to their old standards in 1981. Though, small elements of this era of US design history still remain today, particularly in NASA, as in 2020, they adopted the "NASA worm" as a secondary logo type. I came across this chapter of design history after finding a video on it by Phil Edwards (link below). It ultimately peaked my interests to pursue it a bit deeper. I'd highly suggest the video to anyone who is interested in this kind of stuff! There is honestly so much more that I can talk about in this topic, so rather than go on and on, consider this an introduction to the topic!

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