I am a mad, mad child of the Space Age.
At nine, I only, only, only lived on distant planets in far-flung solar systems and starships. I inhaled them all through stories, books, television and films, including my favorite, 2001: A Space Odyssey.
And while the children of my generation were being inspired by bright promises of tomorrow made by celebrated science-fiction writers, artists and producers, older generations of scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Lab and NASA were hard at work making the conquest of space real “for all mankind” - as it says on Apollo 11's lunar module we left behind on the moon.
But back then, surrounded by the latest science and technology – and deeply inspired by the sleek mid-century modernism of my space toys and games, I felt that the famous blue NASA "meatball" logo looked like a WWII Air Force patch. Something for GI Joe, not for the astronauts. It spoke more to the past than to the future.
Yet, I loved it. I begged my Aunt Eileen to sew one on my jacket in the 3rd grade.
But then, when I was 13, suddenly everything changed. I witnessed the rollout of the Space Shuttle “Enterprise," named after the spaceship from the TV show, Star Trek.
And there it was. For the first time.
On the side of the brilliant white spacecraft was Richard Danne's new, bold, red minimal and aggressively modernist NASA logo, emblazoned proudly on the fuselage.
It was as if he had taken the United States' collective vision for our dreams for outer space and crystallized it, making it real through graphic design.
Dazzled by an artist's ability to visualize tomorrow before it arrived, my decision to be a designer was instantly reaffirmed. Decades later, I finally met my hero in San Francisco only to discover Richard had once lived near Camp COLLINS on Cape Cod.
In fact, he is visiting us here in Woods Hole, this fall.
But best of all? I am honored to introduce Richard next week at the launch of his remarkable new book "Shooting for the Stars" in New York City.
The One Club for Creatity
450 West 31st Street
Wednesday, October 9
6:00 PM
We will showcase Richard's captivating celebration of his six-decade career in design.
Beyond his bold work for NASA, his design systems for organizations like Paramount, FIT and AT&T, have made a lasting impact on visual culture. As a pioneer of modernist design and a former president of AIGA, Danne has been a visionary leader, advocating for the power of design and mentoring future generations.
So come meet Richard. And explore design through his remarkable lens. (A limited number of copies of his book be available for purchase that evening. )
Reservations are here: https://lnkd.in/efXWxYRC
It is selling out. Move fast.
I am blessed that Richard and I have developed a friendship. And while our careers span across two generations, we both still look up at the stars.
And 50 years later, that logo looks better than ever.
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