Most people know NASA to be an innovative and forward-thinking tech institution, but their identity system communicated something different. The old “meatball” logo did not scale or reproduce well, and was too complex to communicate effectively.

The inspiration for NASA’s new identity actually came from their rich past. Looking back to NASA’s “worm” logo that was used in the 60s, the wordmark was deconstructed and redesigned, with the new mark being a sort of “spiritual successor.”

In the new mark, the defining element of an eclipse was utilized to signify discovery, change, and something new. Futura was chosen as a base font due to its use on the original NASA plaque placed on the moon, as well as its timeless geometric and modern forms.