Graphic Design

The New York Times "The Moment" blog (a must for anyone who likes looking at, if not buying, silly, pretty things) has a neat examination of the Obama administration's new logos for Recovery.gov and the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery. Steven Heller writes:

Obama’s branding during and after the campaign has been vigorous and intelligent. But does Juras believe there is a distinctly “Obama” graphic design ethos? “It’s not really about ‘Obama’ branding anymore,” he replied. “It’s more about branding the administration, and it’s best to let the administration speak to its own overarching ethos. That having been said, the direction â€" ‘don’t make it look too governmental’ â€" that we were given certainly stakes out an interesting position.”

What’s also interesting about this logo is that its goal is to become obsolete. Just as the W.P.A. was retired when the Depression was over (and World War II began), the ARRA logo is tied to the fate of the economy. “Hopefully, the recovery effort will work so well and so quickly that we’re no longer in recovery but back at full strength and don’t need it,” Juras said. “The sooner it becomes a historical artifact, the better.”

The designs are sharp and crisp, particularly for TIGER. But I think the idea that they'll make a substantial difference in how Americans feel about recovery programs is probably wrong. Print and graphic media are a smaller part of Americans' overall media consumption than they were during the Great Depression, so it's less likely that either of these logos will become as iconic as Roosevelt's Blue Eagle. At the same time, if this is part of a larger rebranding of the government, I'm fine with it. I guess it's easier to choose a graphic designer than a Chief Performance Officer, even if the latter has the potential to be a great deal more important.

Update: Apparently I am in trouble with my amazing art director for denigrating the graphic arts. Graphic design is much more important in Government Executive than it is anywhere else. I swear! In all seriousness, though, our magazine looks amazing because of Kelly and Jennifer's work, and if you're not a subscriber, you really should check it out. It's free if you qualify!